Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw Celebration – 13 January

Pyramid is celebrating its artistic response with Leeds Art Gallery on 13 January 2026. Come along to enjoy the artwork in Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw, created by artists with learning disabilities and autism, enjoy some free refreshments and partake in accessible art activities facilitated by Pyramid artists.

The Visioning Group will be leading three family-friendly, creative activities for this event, inviting participants to create their own Grimshaw-inspired artwork. The activities were inspired by Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw which is exhibiting at the Leeds Art Gallery until April.

We encourage all adults with learning disabilities, their carers and support organisations to join us for this event.

Workshop Details

Where? Artspace, Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, LS1 3AA
Date: Tuesday 13 January 2026
Time: 12 – 3pm
Booking: No need to book, just turn up!
Access: Please see Leeds Art Gallery Access Guide for detailed information: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/access-at-leeds-art-gallery-s4q2

Activities

Activity one: What do you see in the window?

The Visioning group were inspired by John Atkinson Grimshaw’s paintings of buildings at night-time to create their own sculptural silhouette. The group allowed their imaginations to run wild, illustrating colourful “windows” which they added to the sculpture. Audiences are welcome to create their own “windows’ to add to this collaborative art piece.

Activity two: Shadow puppets

The Visioning group were inspired by the beautiful silhouettes that appear throughout Grimshaw’s night-time paintings and spent time making their own silhouettes from black card. The group enjoyed casting shadows with their creations and creating stories around these. Audiences are welcome to join in and create their own shadow puppets, the lighting in Artspace is perfect for bringing them alive!

Activity three: Drawing prompts

Visioning group member James loves writing lists. Grimshaw’s paintings inspired him to make a huge, beautiful list which is written on a watercolour background decorated like the night sky. Every word from James’ list is in a top hat. Audiences are welcome to reach in to select a drawing prompt and create a picture inspired by James’ vivid imagination.

The celebration event will run alongside Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw, an artistic response to Don’t Let’s Ask For The Moon…: Nocturnes and Atkinson Grimshaw, a major show in the main gallery exploring nocturnal themes in Grimshaw’s work and contemporary responses. This event is in partnership with Forum Central.

Leeds Art Gallery Exhibition Showcases Pyramid Artists 

Leeds Art Gallery and Pyramid, a Leeds-based arts organisation, are proud to announce a new collaborative show that responds to the work of John Atkinson Grimshaw and features artwork by artists with learning disabilities and autism.

Titled Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw, the artistic response opens on 14 November 2025 in the Artspace at Leeds Art Gallery and runs until 19 April 2026. It features artwork created and curated by Pyramid member artists, inspired by the distinctive nocturnal scenes of 19th-century Leeds-born artist John Atkinson Grimshaw. The project celebrates the atmospheric transition from dusk to night-time, a recurring theme in Grimshaw’s work. Pyramid member artists will also be running workshops in Artspace to support exhibition visitors to create their own Grimshaw-inspired artwork.

Nicky Lines, Development Manager at Pyramid, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Leeds Art Gallery on this special artistic response, which celebrates both Grimshaw’s iconic style and the incredible talent of our member artists. It’s vital that artists with learning disabilities and autism have their work seen and valued. This collaboration is a brilliant opportunity to share their creativity with a wider audience.

Pyramid is committed to breaking down the barriers that artists with learning disabilities and autism often face. Working with an established art institution like Leeds Art Gallery helps our artists gain the visibility, recognition, and celebration they deserve.”

Jane Bhoyroo, Principal Keeper at Leeds Art Gallery, said: “It is a real pleasure to be working with Pyramid on this project as we celebrate John Atkinson Grimshaw this season at the Gallery. It’s wonderful to see so many deeply creative responses to the work of this celebrated Leeds artist, by Leeds artists, and we are hopeful our collaboration with Pyramid will help champion these talented learning disabled and autistic artists in our city.”

Pyramid’s artistic response will run alongside Don’t Let’s Ask For The Moon…: Nocturnes and Atkinson Grimshaw, a major exhibition in the main gallery exploring nocturnal themes in Grimshaw’s work and contemporary responses.

For more information and access details about Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition, please visit: https://pyramid.org.uk/pyramid-view-on-john-atkinson-grimshaw.

This article was published by Yorkshire Evening Post, South Leeds Life and Arts Together.

AGM 2024-2025 – 06 December

Pyramid would like to invite you to our 2024-25 AGM! 

Saturday 06 December 2025, 11.00am – 1.00pm

Henry Moore Room
Leeds Art Gallery
The Headrow
Leeds LS1 3AA

Click here for information about access and travel

AGM stands for Annual General Meeting.

Our AGM is open to the general public, we would encourage anyone involved or interested in Pyramid’s work to attend the meeting so that you can find out more about all the exciting things we got up to in 2024-25. 

There will also be a chance for people to see the Pyramid View on… John Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition in the Artspace at Leeds Art Gallery. 

We invite everyone who is involved or interested in Pyramid’s work to attend the meeting, but only legal members can vote.

Please click here for information about becoming a legal member.

AGMs must follow the rules of our governing document.

You can download our governing document, and find our charitable aims, here: https://pyramid.org.uk/strategic-aims/

Meeting papers
If a link is missing, please check back later. All papers will be uploaded by 5 November 2025.

Agenda

Full annual accounts and trustee report for the year ending 31 March 2025

Easy-read summary of the annual accounts

Annual activity report

Minutes of last year’s AGM (2023-2024)

Trustee profiles

Winter Art Market – 22 November

Pyramid’s winter art market returns this November with more handmade goods, artwork, crafts, and festive treats from local artists and businesses across Leeds. Come and browse the beautiful, festive artwork and meet some of Pyramid’s member artists and other local makers. There will also be delicious hot drinks to keep you warm and a family-friendly creative workshop!

Studio Pyramid Facilitator Poppy will lead a family-friendly decoration activity. Using air-dry clay, you’ll design and craft your very own festive ornaments, beautifully embossed with natural foliage.

We’ll also be hosting a festive competition to guess how many snowflakes cover Ice Planet, the stunning illustration by Pyramid member artist Alexander!

This is a fundraising event for Pyramid and all money raised will go towards improving access and inclusion in the arts for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Event details

Date: Saturday 22 November 2025

Time: 10:30am – 2pm

Location: Pyramid Studio, Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street, Leeds LS11 9RT

Access: Please see pyramid.org.uk/access for full information

This year’s Winter Art Market features:

Sassy Rebels
Pyramid member artist, Ria, selling handmade prints and jewellery.

Eliot
Local illustrative artist selling prints and refurbished objects turned art pieces.

Jayna
Pyramid member artist selling prints and artwork.

Knitting Nicky
Local artist selling knitted items.

Reeces Art Pieces
Local artist selling prints.

Fidget Turtles
Local artist selling fidget turtles.

Zola Remade
Local maker selling upcycled items made from unwanted textiles.

Promise Beth Designs
Local artist selling handmade items from second-hand materials

Jenesix Art
Local acrylic paint artist selling prints and art pieces.

Edek
Leeds based community artist selling original artwork.

Tammy Palmer
Local ceramicist and textile artist selling artwork.

Nourishing People
A social enterprise selling delicious snacks.

Penny Lewis
Local artist selling original artwork.

Everyone is welcome and we’d love to see as many people as possible, so please help us to spread the word!

New art studio in Leeds for people with learning disabilities and autism

Leeds-based arts organisation, Pyramid, has opened the doors to its accessible art space, Studio Pyramid.  Formerly operating as an add-on for existing Pyramid members, the inclusive studio is expanding its reach to welcome more local artists with learning disabilities and autism.

Studio Pyramid offers artists with learning disabilities and autism a space to work on their independent creative projects. Studio sessions run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. As well as having a studio facilitator on site that can help artists source materials and resources for their work, Studio Pyramid also offers creative practitioners a chance to receive peer mentorship, professional development sessions and access to exhibiting opportunities. 

James Hill, Director of Pyramid, said: ‘There are very few accessible spaces in Leeds where artists with learning disabilities or autism can work on self-guided creative projects. Offering a flexible, supportive arts studio that has artists with support needs in mind will enable more people to explore and develop their own creative practices and learn valuable workplace skills in the process.’

Studio Pyramid is a continuation of Pyramid’s Studio Days which launched in July 2024 exclusively for its members. The initiative was part of Finding the Flex, a project in collaboration with the University of Leeds School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies and was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Studio Pyramid is supported by Arts Council England and offers creative practitioners with learning disabilities or autism access to an open art studio and training opportunities. For more information and to access a free trial, please contact Alice at: info@pyramid.org.uk.

This article was published by Leeds Living, South Leeds Life, and InYourArea.

The Choice Project with Ribblehead and Eden

In 2024 and 2025 our Visioning Group worked with the Eden Group and the Ribblehead Group to design a new process so that Pyramid groups could decide what type of project they would like to work on.

This was in response to our members telling us they’d like more choices about their artwork and how they make it, which we shared in our Pyramid Plan: “[Members] will be able to make our own choices about our artwork and how we make it”.

The Eden Group decided to do “Creature Costumes” designing creatures and creating costumes. The Ribblehead Group decided that they would do “Ribblehead go to the Movies”, creating art work inspired by their favourite films.

Eden Group’s Creature Costumes 

The Eden group made loads of things like costumes, comics and stickers. The starting point for these artworks was collages, which were used to build up backgrounds and develop starting points of various things.  

At the end of the term, everyone’s artwork was brought together in a zine called ‘The World of Eden Forest’ which members got to bring home. 

The members said they enjoyed making costumes and appreciated taking home a zine that tied everything they’ve been working on together. The creature theme encouraged people to develop their own individual characters and stories which encouraged people to make more choices than they normally would and helped to build their confidence. 

Ribblehead Go To The Movies 

The Ribblehead group made lots of artwork celebrating their favourite films, actors and characters throughout this project. Lots of people made costumes inspired by these which were used in a photoshoot and turned into reimagined film posters. Images of the posters and the costume photoshoot was put together in a short film.

Members really enjoyed making the costumes and seeing them come to life. Some people also found it really fun dressing up in them for the photoshoot or seeing other people in them! The theme of the project meant that almost everyone could have a personal connection with what they were focusing on. People liked the freedom of being able to choose what films and characters they wanted to be and it made the project really fun and joyful. The room was laid out with smaller tables so people could work in small groups together and it encouraged people to chat more and some new friendships were made.

Good News Story: Alexander

Alexander is a young artist with autism who joined Pyramid at the end of 2023. He now spends two mornings a week in Development Team sessions with artist facilitator Leigh, and also attends the Next Step Pyramid group.

Throughout his life, Alexander has used art as a tool to express himself and to share his perspectives and ideas of the world. His artwork is often based on television or video game characters, but he also enjoys drawing animals, birds and vehicles in his own distinctive style. Alexander often weaves lively narratives around the characters that he creates.

Alexander is lucky to be from a supportive and caring family, but they have often struggled to find accessible spaces and services which fit with his personal needs. Much current provision for adults with autism encourages them to attend “access to work” placements that are not necessarily suited to the needs of people like Alexander. Alexander would love to forge a career in the arts but would struggle to cope with traditional routes into this, such as a college or a university course.

“As well as expanding his artistic abilities, the social and communication skills Alexander is acquiring in Pyramid’s safe and supportive environment are boosting his self-esteem and equipping him with increased independence for the future. I genuinely believe Alexander has developed faster across a range of skills during his time at Pyramid than at any other life stage. Pyramid not only addresses Alexander’s needs but identifies his strengths and captures his talents. With their help, he is starting to forge a career in the arts, which has been his lifelong ambition!” – Lynn, Alexander’s mum

Since coming to Pyramid, Alexander has made a great deal of progress in his arts practice and the skills that he has developed. He has experimented with a wide range of mediums including 3D printing, sculpture and painting, as well as filling many sketchbooks and creating numerous paintings which are quickly taking over the Pyramid studio! He has created items which have been sold in both Pyramid Art Markets and the Pyramid online shop and now has his artwork on display at a local social enterprise called Seagulls Reuse. He has designed a bespoke range of seagull themed merchandise which is available to buy in the Seagull’s shop!

Furthermore, Alexander’s confidence and social skills have increased rapidly since attending Pyramid. When he first visited, he was nervous to interact with other members and preferred to work in a separate room away from the busy studio. Now Alexander is popular with his peers who admire his art and love hearing the stories that he tells them. Alexander will often work in a busy studio full of people and collaborate on bigger art pieces. He has attended Pyramid trips to art studios throughout the North of England and recently visited Seagulls to hang his own artwork.

Pyramid View On… John Atkinson Grimshaw – 14 November – 19 April

Pyramid has partnered with Leeds Art Gallery to create an artistic response that celebrates the inspiration of dusk turning to night-time in John Atkinson Grimshaw’s work.

This artistic response features original artwork created and curated by Pyramid member artists, inspired by the distinctive nocturnal scenes of 19th-century Leeds-born artist John Atkinson Grimshaw.

The project celebrates the atmospheric transition from dusk to night-time, a recurring theme in Grimshaw’s work. Pyramid member artists will also be running workshops in the Artspace (check website for details) to support visitors to create their own Atkinson Grimshaw-inspired artwork. Activities include using words as prompts to create your own artwork, making shadow puppets and contributing to an exhibition piece (see more details about the workshops below!).

Artistic Response Details

Where? Artspace, Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, LS1 3AA
Date: 14 November 2025 – 19 April 2026
Booking: No need to book, just turn up!
Access: Please see Leeds Art Gallery Access Guide for detailed information: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/access-at-leeds-art-gallery-s4q2

The Visioning group will be running three family-friendly, inclusive creative workshops on 25 November, 2 and 9 December. Read more about the activities below. If you can’t make a session, you can find instructions for the activities and materials in the Artspace while the artistic response is running!

Activity one: What do you see in the window?

The Visioning group were inspired by John Atkinson Grimshaw’s paintings of buildings at night-time to create their own sculptural silhouette. The group allowed their imaginations to run wild, illustrating colourful “windows” which they added to the sculpture. Audiences are welcome to create their own “windows’ to add to this collaborative art piece.

Activity two: Shadow puppets

The Visioning group were inspired by the beautiful silhouettes that appear throughout Grimshaw’s night-time paintings and spent time making their own silhouettes from black card. The group enjoyed casting shadows with their creations and creating stories around these. Audiences are welcome to join in and create their own shadow puppets, the lighting in Artspace is perfect for bringing them alive!

Activity three: Drawing prompts

Visioning group member James loves writing lists. Grimshaw’s paintings inspired him to make a huge, beautiful list which is written on a watercolour background decorated like the night sky. Every word from James’ list is in a top hat. Audiences are welcome to reach in to select a drawing prompt and create a picture inspired by James’ vivid imagination.

Workshop Details

Where? Artspace, Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, LS1 3AA
Dates: 25 Nov, 02 Dec and 09 Dec
Times: 1-3pm
Booking: No need to book, just turn up!
Access: Please see Leeds Art Gallery Access Guide for detailed information: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/access-at-leeds-art-gallery-s4q2

The artistic response will run alongside Don’t Let’s Ask For The Moon…: Nocturnes and Atkinson Grimshaw, a major show in the main gallery exploring nocturnal themes in Grimshaw’s work and contemporary responses.  

This project is in partnership with Leeds Art Gallery. ‘Pyramid view on… John Atkinson Grimshaw’ features artwork made using recycled canvases, kindly donated by Pinot & Picasso.

Images © Leeds Museums and Galleries

Finding The Flex: Studio Days

In July 2024, we launched Studio Days, as part of an action research project called Finding the Flex with the University of Leeds. Studio Days offered our members access to our fully equipped, accessible studio space for three days a week to work on independent projects. Up until this point, members’ access to studio space was limited to specific group or development sessions.  

The inspiration for the project came from feedback from our members who asked for open studio time, as there are very few accessible spaces in Leeds where our members can work independently. Offering a flexible, supportive arts studio that had artists with learning disabilities and autism in mind enabled our members to explore and develop their creative practices.

One of our regular Studio Days attendees was Conor, who started coming to these sessions when they first started. Conor attended as often as he could, sometimes up to three times a week during holidays. His favourite medium was drawing and he often could be found working on large artworks during his studio time. 

Conor liked to draw using a variety of materials, and working in our studio space enabled him to experiment with different mediums like felt tips, coloured pencils, oil pastels, wax crayons, and paint markers. He enjoyed layering his work and stacking different patterns and sometimes breaking through the paper too. As well as working on his next piece of artwork, Conor loved to use his studio time to socialise and talk about his favourite things.  

Conor’s artwork, as well as work from other Studio Days attendees, was featured in a special exhibition hosted at Sunny Bank Mills in July 2025. The exhibition included sculptures, ceramics, film, photography, painting and print-making from over 15 artists.

Images courtesy of Sunny Bank Mills

As part of this project, Studio Days attendees had the opportunity to visit other art studios and galleries, including The Bluecoat in Liverpool, Venture Arts in Manchester as well as Sunny Bank Mills in Leeds and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Art House in Wakefield.

Learn more about this project by watching the documentaries below.

About Studio Days

Meet the Studio Days Artists

Meet Will from Studio Days

Pyramid Studio Days was part of Finding the Flex, a further development of our ongoing work, Irregular Art Schools. It was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and was delivered in partnership with the University of Leeds.

Pyramid x LCC Character Collab Exhibition – 11 November – January 2026

‘Pyramid x LCC Character Collab’ exhibition celebrates the debut collaboration between Pyramid and Leeds Comics Collective. The exhibition showcases the exchange and collaboration of ideas between Pyramid member artists as well as artists in and around Leeds.

The creative exchange invited Pyramid member artists and Leeds Comics Collective artists to submit character illustrations that were swapped and then reinterpreted in a new drawing. The exhibition features original artwork and characters from Pyramid member artists and Leeds Comics Collective artists.

Event details

Exhibition Date: 11 November 2025 – January 2026

Time: For opening hours, please see: https://flamingoscoffeehouse.co.uk

Location: Flamingos Coffee House, Central Arcade, Leeds LS1 6DX

Access: Click here to view or download our venue access information for Flamingos (.pdf).

Leeds Comics Collective is a hierarchy-free, not-for-profit group who host safe, all-inclusive meetings every month in Leeds City Centre to strengthen the local creative scene, collaborate on projects like our anthology series and host fairs, gigs and exhibitions!

Flamingos Coffee House is Leeds’ premier queer friendly Coffee House, providing a friendly, safe space for all.

This exhibition is kindly supported by Thought Bubble and is part of Thought Bubble Festival 2025.

New film celebrates Yorkshire artists with learning disabilities and autism

Yorkshire filmmaker, Alfie Fox, is screening his newest documentary about Leeds-based arts organisation, Pyramid, at Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds on 14 August.  

The documentary celebrates the work Pyramid does to support people with learning disabilities and autism to get into the arts. It explores what the charity means to its member artists, the kinds of art members like to make and why it’s important to raise awareness of Pyramid’s work in the wider arts community. 

Alfie Fox said: “When I searched on YouTube, there wasn’t a documentary about Pyramid and I thought there should be, so I made one. I think it’s important to tell people about Pyramid so that we can help more artists like me to make the kind of art they want to make.” 

James Hill, Director of Pyramid, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the documentary Alfie produced. Our goal is to help people to discover the arts, and to develop their talents to become world-class artists. It’s brilliant to see one of our members highlight the important work we do. Alfie is really aware of how rare provisions like Pyramid are for artists like himself and it’s great to see him advocating for the importance of personalised creative support.” 

This will be Alfie’s second screening at Hyde Park Picture House. His previous film, Leeds Access Cloaks, which was funded by Arts Council England, documented the barriers that exist for artists with disabilities, and highlighted why art is an important tool for communication and connection in our everyday lives. 

Alfie has been a Pyramid member artist since 2020. In addition to filmmaking, he works with photography, digital art, print making, text and collage. His artwork advocates for and challenges people’s perspective of access for people with disabilities and incorporates the difficulties he has personally faced as a young man with multiple disabilities. Alfie is an avid campaigner and an Associate Researcher at the University of Leeds School of Fine Art. He has been a member of his local hospitals access forum, ensuring that there is good access for those that are disabled and was previously featured in Possibility Magazine speaking about his campaigning for access.  

Alfie has made his new documentary with support from Michael Godsall, Tim Curtis and Louis Wong. The documentary screening will take place at Hyde Park Picture House on 14 August at 1pm and will also include a selection of short films by other Pyramid artists. For more details and to book a ticket, please visit: https://pyramid-doc.eventbrite.co.uk   

This article was published by Yorkshire Bylines and InYourArea.

Pyramid partners with Northern Monk on creative upcycling project 

Pyramid partners with Northern Monk brewery to offer an eco-friendly and creative solution to reusing old beer tap handles.  

Pyramid artists collaborated with Northern Monk to create unique, handmade designs for the tap handles.  This process involved the development of a brief by Northern Monk, which artists at Pyramid responded to. Once completed, the refurbished tap handles will be brought back into use and installed in Northern Monk’s Leeds-based bar venues; the Refectory tap room at their original Old Flax Store site in Holbeck, and The Northern Market in the city centre. This collaborative upcycling project offered Pyramid artists an opportunity to work within a creative brief while providing more outreach for their work.  

James Hill, Director of Pyramid, said: “We’re very excited about our new collaboration with Northern Monk. This is a great opportunity for members of our Ribblehead Group to develop new skills as artists and to showcase their talent across Leeds.  

“Pyramid strives to disrupt barriers that artists with learning disabilities, autism, or both, often face, and collaborating with a national partner like Northern Monk will help our artists receive the recognition and celebration their creative work deserves.” 

Russell Bisset, Founder & Managing Director of Northern Monk, said: “Collaboration has been at the heart of Northern Monk since day one. We’re proud to support a local organisation like Pyramid, whose work makes such a meaningful impact to the people in our community. 

It’s a privilege to help showcase the incredible talent of Pyramid artists across our bar venues whilst being environmentally conscious and reducing waste, and we’re excited to continue working closely with Pyramid through the Faith in Futures Foundation.” 

As well as the tap handles themselves, artwork inspired by this project will be exhibited in the autumn at Northern Monk Refectory Leeds. Pyramid members will go on to work closely with Northern Monk to produce new designs for tap handles that will be installed in pubs and Northern Monk venues across the UK at the end of the year. 

Pyramid supports adults with learning disabilities, autism, or both, through their weekly group and one-to-one art sessions, based in their Holbeck studio. Pyramid showcases its members’ work through a programme of high-quality events and exhibitions across Leeds and Yorkshire and is known for its large-scale artworks such as the ‘Hand of Time’ for the Cultural Olympiad in 2012 and ‘Farm Hill’, the iron sculpture at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. Northern Monk’s Faith in Futures Foundation has been a sponsor of Pyramid since 2024 and supports the organisation’s goal to enable people with learning disabilities and/or autism discover the arts and to develop their talents to become world-class artists.   

This article was published by South Leeds Life.

Pyramid Documentary by Alfie Fox screening at Hyde Park Picture House – 14 August

Join artist Alfie Fox for the screening of his new documentary celebrating all things Pyramid!

From March 2024 to March 2025, Pyramid artist Alfie Fox shot hours of footage and interviewed 11 people, core staff, artists, members and trustees to create a unique documentary exploring Pyramid and the important work we do to support artists with a learning disability and/or autism.

Alfie’s film explores what Pyramid means to people, the kinds of art members like to make at Pyramid and why it’s important to raise awareness of the charity to the wider arts community.

‘When I searched on YouTube, there wasn’t a documentary about Pyramid and I thought there should be, so I made one. I think it’s important to tell people about Pyramid so that we can help more artists like me to make the kind of art they want to make’ – Alfie Fox

Alfie works with photography, film making, digital art, print making, text and collage. His artwork advocates and challenges people’s perspective of access for people with disabilities and incorporates the difficulties he has personal faced as a young man with multiple disabilities.

You can find out more about Alfie and his creative practice by visiting his artist profile here.

Alfie has made this film with support from Michael Godsall, Tim Curtis & Louis Wong.

The screening will also include a selection of short films by other Pyramid artists which will be announced nearer the time.

Event details

Where? Hyde Park Picture House, 73 Brudenell Road, LS6 1JD
Date: Thursday 14 August
Time: 1-2pm
Cost: £3-£9
Booking: To book your ticket, please visit: https://pyramid-doc.eventbrite.co.uk
Access: Please see https://hpph.co.uk/access for detailed information

Summer Exhibition at HEART – 01 August – 12 September

Come along to our summer exhibition at HEART in Headingley. This group exhibition showcases new, summer-inspired work by Pyramid artists.

Pyramid is dedicated to being as sustainable as possible in our arts practice and this project is no exception. All of the art on canvas has been created using canvases donated to us by Pinot and Picasso.

Selected works will be for sale and all the proceeds will go towards improving access and inclusion in the arts for people with learning disabilities and / or autism.

Event details

Where? Assembly Bar + Kitchen at HEART (Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre), Bennett Road, LS6 3HN
Exhibition Dates: 01 August – 12 September
Exhibition Times: 9am – 9pm Mondays to Saturdays (closed on Sundays)
Cost: Free
Booking: No need to book, just turn up.
Access: Please see HEART’s Access Guide for detailed information: https://heartcentre.org.uk/accessibility

Summer Exhibition poster artwork by Pyramid artist Ria.

Member Artist call out – John Atkinson Grimshaw inspired artwork

We’ve partnered with Leeds Art Gallery on a new exhibition that celebrates the inspiration of dusk turning to night-time in John Atkinson Grimshaw’s work.

We welcome submissions from Pyramid member artists to create artwork in response to the upcoming John Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition. The chosen artworks will be part of a group exhibition in Leeds Art Gallery’s Artspace this November.

John Atkinson Grimshaw captures a magical quality in his beautiful painting of the winged ‘Iris,’ who is surrounded by a range of glowing colours. He also created many artworks which capture the way that moonlight shines out in the darkness, illuminating the cities below. Your art could contain a mystical figure shining in the darkness, the moon, stars and planets and/or pictures of familiar places in the nighttime. It is up to you! You can find more examples of Grimshaw’s work here: https://artuk.org/discover/artists/grimshaw-john-atkinson-18361893

How to apply

You must be a member artist at Pyramid to take part. This means you are in a Pyramid group or Development Team, or you use the Open Studio.

Applications to this exhibition are free, there is no submission fee.

The submission deadline is Tuesday 30 September 2025. We will select artworks and contact applicants by 10 October.

Please email submissions@pyramid.org.uk with your images and artist info as follows:

• You can submit up to 2 pieces of work for us to choose from (please include them all in the same email and understand that we might select only one for exhibition).
• You can include up to 5 images per artwork.
• Please include the dimensions (or intended printed sizes) of each artwork.
• Please include a small bit of information about your work. How does it connect to John Atkinson Grimshaw and/or paintings of the night time?

Exhibition requirements

• Artworks can be any size or shape but should take up no more wall space than A2 (42cm x 59cm).
• Artworks must not protrude (stick out) any more than 5cm.
• Artworks must be ready to hang.
• Artists can submit up to two pieces, but only one may be selected.
• Work is exhibited entirely at the owner’s risk.

Successful artists are welcome to drop off work at the Pyramid studio by midday on Thursday, 30 October. We can print digital work for you, up to size A3.

Venue and access

Leeds Art Gallery is situated on the Headrow in Leeds. They aim to provide a friendly, accessible environment for all our visitors and the widest possible access to our building, exhibitions and collections.

Click here to view or download our venue access information for Leeds Art Gallery.

Image references:
Image 1 – Leeds Museums and Galleries – Iris
Image 2 – Leeds Museums and Galleries – Leeds Bridge
Image 3 – Leeds Museums and Galleries – Leeds Park Row
Image 4 – Leeds Museums and Galleries – Reflections on the Aire

The Joy of Sonic exhibition – From 09 July

The Joy of Sonic is a celebration of all things Sonic the Hedgehog and is the second collaboration between Pyramid, Flamingos Coffee House and the artist community of Leeds. The exhibition takes place at Flamingos Coffee House from Wednesday 09 July. The group exhibition features work from 5 Pyramid artists who inspired the theme, as well as 20 Leeds-based creatives.

This exhibition was organised and curated by Pyramid support artist, Leigh. Pyramid artists and creatives in Leeds were invited to submit original artwork that celebrates the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Fan art can be an accessible gateway to learning how to draw and create. Through making artwork around favourite fandoms (be it gaming, anime, cartoons, comics, tv or film) fast connections can be formed between fellow fans through a shared interest. For many, fan art can offer a therapeutic or calming outlet, be an embodiment of self-expression, or a form of preserving nostalgia. Artists can explore imagined worlds, experiences and beloved character cross-overs through their own unrestricted interpretations of their fandoms. ‘The Joy of Sonic’ is a celebration of these themes.

Venue and access

Situated in Central Arcade in Leeds City Centre, Flamingos Coffee House is Leeds’ premier queer friendly Coffee House, providing a friendly, safe space for all.

For opening hours please see https://flamingoscoffeehouse.co.uk/

Click here to view or download our venue access information for Flamingos (.pdf).

Summer Art Market – 19 July

Come and browse the beautiful artwork being sold by Pyramid artists and other local makers at this year’s Summer Art Market. We’ll be running an art trail as well as family-friendly creative activities in our studio. There will also be a chance to enjoy some delicious refreshments and baked goods in our newly revamped courtyard garden.

Art Market Fundraiser Raffle

This year we’re excited to announce we’re running a fundraiser raffle prize draw at our Summer Art Market which features stunning original artworks donated by over 20 talented local artists! Tickets are just £1 and gives you a chance to not only own a unique piece of art but also support Pyramid’s work towards improving access and inclusion in the arts for people with learning disabilities.

Purchase your raffle tickets at the market by 1pm or online before 10am on Saturday, 19 July.

Event details

Date: Saturday, 19 July 2025

Time: 10:30am – 2pm

Location: Pyramid Studio, Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street, Leeds LS11 9RT

Access: Please see pyramid.org.uk/access for full information

This year’s Summer Art Market will feature:

Nourishing People
A social enterprise promoting learning and employment for people with disabilities, organised through People Matters, selling delicious natural snacks.

Slate
A local charity that sells affordable furniture and electronics will be sharing information about their work reducing furniture poverty in Leeds and selling bric-a-brac.

Dragons Nest Community
An inclusive Dungeons & Dragons group in Leeds selling custom dice and sharing information about their events for gamers who are neurodiverse.

Ozziez Coffee and Bakery
Local Turkish and British coffee shop selling yummy baked goods.

Ikarino
Local artist selling original artwork.

Big Ween Illustration
Local artist selling original artwork.

Alfie Fox
Pyramid artist selling original artwork.

Ria Lake
Pyramid artist selling original artwork.

Jaz
Pyramid artist selling original artwork.

Pyramid Fundraising Stall
Our fundraising stall will be selling stickers, jewellery, lampshades, artist books, postcards, zines, badges, tea towels, canvas art, t-shirts, tote bags and notebooks all made by Pyramid artists. Proceeds from the stall will go towards our work to support artists with learning disabilities and/or autism.

This is a fundraising event for Pyramid, and all money raised will go towards improving access and inclusion in the arts for people with learning disabilities. Everyone is welcome and we’d love to see as many people as possible, so please help us to spread the word!

Summer Art Market 2025 artwork by Pyramid’s Visioning Group.

Artist call out – Sonic the Hedgehog artwork

Artists who are based in and around Leeds are welcome to submit Sonic the Hedgehog themed artwork to be displayed in Pyramid’s new exhibition at Flamingos Coffee House in Leeds.

This exhibition celebrates the joy of Sonic the Hedgehog and will take place at Flamingos Coffee House from July 2025. Artworks can be returned to the artist at any time upon request.

How to apply

Applications to this exhibition are free, there is no submission fee.

The submission deadline is Monday 9 June 2025. We will select artworks and contact applicants by 16 June.

Please email submissions@pyramid.org.uk with your images and artist info as follows:

• You can submit up to 2 pieces of work for us to choose from (please include them all in the same email and understand that we might select only one for exhibition).
• You can include up to 5 images per artwork.
• Please include the dimensions (or intended printed sizes) of each artwork.
• Please include a small bit of information about your work: Why do you love Sonic the Hedgehog? Why does the franchise inspire you to make work about it?

Exhibition requirements

• Artworks can be any size or shape but should take up no more wall space than A2 (42cm x 59cm).
• Artworks must not protrude (stick out) any more than 5cm.
• Artworks must be ready to hang.
• Artists can submit up to two pieces, but only one may be selected.
• Work is exhibited entirely at the owner’s risk.

Successful artists are welcome to drop off work at the Pyramid studio (Holbeck, Leeds) by midday Friday 27 June. Other alternative means suited to the artist’s needs (e.g. posting, digital work for basic printing up to A3) can be discussed via email upon successful application.

Venue and access

Situated in Central Arcade in Leeds City Centre, Flamingos Coffee House is Leeds’ premier queer friendly Coffee House, providing a friendly, safe space for all, 7 days a week.

Click here to view or download our venue access information for Flamingos (.pdf).

Studio Days Spotlight: Dan Bennet

Dan Bennet is a Pyramid artist who attends our studio days sessions and is also a long-running member of our Eden and Ribblehead groups.  

Dan came into the studio one day and said he wanted to build a Land Rover inspired by the colourful Land Rover that sits on top of the Northern Monk Brewery he saw on his way to Pyramid.

Dan carefully sketched out a design of the vehicle and got to work building it from all sorts of mixed materials found in our stores. The project took around four weeks to complete and Dan was super dedicated to making the perfect Land Rover.

At the front, Dan carved out a window and made a windscreen from plastic. Dan made cardboard figures to represent himself and his dad. Dan’s dad is sat behind the wheel, and Dan is sat in the passenger seat. Dan also made a figure of his dog, Charlie, which is sat on the back seat. The back of the vehicle has an underwater scene complete with a great white shark, blue tang and red snapper.

Dan loves cars and animals, so it was really nice to see his two great loves combined in this amazing piece!

Pyramid Studio Days take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Pyramid member artists can make use of our studio facilities during these days free of charge.

Pyramid Studio Days is part of Finding the Flex, a further development of our ongoing work, Irregular Art Schools. It is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and is delivered in partnership with University of Leeds.

Finding the Flex: Making Studio Spaces Work 

Pyramid supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to make art, build confidence and improve social skills. We offer high-quality, person-centred support for members with diverse needs, working in partnership with arts and social care providers citywide. We support around 120 people with learning disabilities and/or autism per year, around half of whom have profound, multiple learning disabilities. 

Our members have told us they want to have choice and freedom about the work they make and how they make it. We work with professional freelance community artists who support our members to explore a range of artforms and experiences. We run eight weekly group sessions, where people come together, have fun and collaborate on varied projects. We also host one-to-one ‘Development Teams’ where members work with professional artist facilitators to develop their creative practice.  

In July 2024, we launched Studio Days, as part of an action research project called Finding the Flex with University of Leeds. Studio Days offers our members access to our fully equipped, accessible studio space for three days a week to work on independent projects. Up until this point, members’ access to studio space was limited to specific group or development sessions.  

‘A major piece of feedback from our members was a need for open studio time,’ said James Hill, Director of Pyramid. ‘There are very few accessible spaces in Leeds where our members can work independently. Offering a flexible, supportive arts studio that has artists with learning disabilities and/or autism in mind has enabled our members to explore and develop their own creative practices.’ 

One of our regular Studio Days attendees is Conor, who started coming to these sessions when they started back in July. Conor comes as often as he can, sometimes up to three times a week during holidays. His favourite medium is drawing and he can often be found working on large artworks during his studio time. 

Conor likes to draw using a variety of materials, and working in our studio space has enabled him to experiment with different mediums like felt tips, coloured pencils, oil pastels, wax crayons, and paint markers. He enjoys layering his work and stacking different patterns and sometimes he’ll break through the paper too. As well as working on his next piece of artwork, Conor loves to use his studio time to socialise and talk about his favourite things.  

The aim of Finding the Flex is to test models for more flexible support and support plans for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to improve the way they’re supported to access different activities in future.  

If you’d like to learn more about Finding the Flex and to visit our accessible art studio, we’re running two free tours during Creativity and Wellbeing Week on Monday 19 May. You can book your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pyramid-open-studios-tour-tickets-1280871624509 

Finding the Flex is in collaboration with University of Leeds School of Fine Art, History of Art, & Cultural Studies on a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is linked with the Irregular Art Schools research project.   

This article was published by Creativity and Wellbeing Week.

Going Places Mural Celebration – 17 July

Join Next Step Pyramid’s celebration event for their new mural, Going Places, at Seagulls Reuse on 17 July.

Throughout the autumn term in 2024, the Next Step Pyramid group created designs inspired by transportation. These designs will be hand-painted using recycled paint over three summer sessions to create one large-scale mural at Seagulls Reuse. The theme for this project was chosen by the group and was initially inspired by group member Lewis’s love of trains.

This celebration event is a chance to view the mural, meet the artists, enjoy some refreshments, and try making your very own wall art.

This is a free event and everyone is welcome!

Where? Seagulls Reuse, 129 Water Lane, Holbeck LS11 9UD
Event Date: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Event Time: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Booking: No need to book, just turn up.