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).

Creative upcycling with Northern Monk and Ribblehead

In 2025, the Ribblehead group was tasked with redesigning Northern Monk’s old beer tap handles. The group explored new designs around themes of the North and landscapes, which was set out in Northern Monk’s creative brief.

Over 12 weeks, the group created original designs for the tap handles, which will be in use at Northern Monk establishments soon.

As well as upcycling the tap handles, the Ribblehead group explored other pub-related artwork, like hand-drawn beermats and flags, culminating in an imaginary pop-up pub showcasing their artwork. This artwork will be exhibited from the end of August at Leeds Refectory.

Creative upcycling with Northern Monk

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at some of the beer tap handle designs the Ribblehead group worked on this term. These newly decorated tap handles will eventually be installed at a Northern Monk establishment in the future!

Behind the scenes with the Ribblehead group

As well as creating new, bespoke designs for Northern Monk’s old beer tap handles, the Ribblehead group also worked on creating an imaginary pop-up pub and created artwork of all the things you can expect to find at one!

The group named their imaginary pub ‘The Colouring Inn’, which featured Izzi, its landlady. The artwork included hand-drawn beermats, cans and snack packets.

This pop-up pub installation will be exhibited from the end of August at Leeds Refectory.

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.

Playing Around: Studio Days Exhibition – 1-6 July

Join our upcoming group exhibition Playing Around at Sunny Bank Mills, which features a collection of work from Pyramid artists who have been accessing our Studio Days sessions. The exhibition will include sculptures, ceramics, film, photography, painting and print-making created by over 15 artists.

Pyramid launched Studio Days in July 2024 and around 15 members attend regularly, making experimental new work and enjoying spending more time in the studio. This exhibition showcases a selection of new artworks created by these emerging artists.

We’re hosting a celebration event to launch this new exhibition on Tuesday, 1 July from 11am to 2pm. This will be a chance to view the artwork, meet some of the artists and try a new creative activity.

This is a free event and everyone is welcome!

Where? Sunny Bank Mills, 83-85 Town Street, Pudsey LS28 5UJ
Celebration Event Date: Tuesday, 1 July
Celebration Event Time: 11am – 2pm
Exhibition Dates: Tuesday, 1 July – Sunday, 6 July
Cost: Free
Booking: No need to book, just turn up
Access: Please see Sunny Bank Mills Access Guide for detailed information: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/arts/access/

Pyramid Studio Days are free open sessions for Pyramid members who would like more time to work on their independent creative projects in the studio. These sessions are supported by our studio facilitator, Poppy, who assists and advises Pyramid artists in developing their creative practices.

This project is called Finding The Flex and is a feasibility study for providing a flexible, supported open arts studio for artists with learning disabilities, autism, or both.

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

Studio Days Spotlight: James

James is a member of our Next Step and Visioning groups. He has been attending our Studio Days since it started in July 2024.

James arrived at the studio and wanted to create a series of ceramic planes with ancient pottery techniques carved into them.

James said: ‘I wanted to combine ancient style pottery with a near modern plane design’.

To support his creative project, James got to work researching different ceramic periods including Greek black-figure, Lupita, Moche and Aztec pottery. James then made test tiles of these different pottery styles and then got to work on his first plane, the Sr71 Blackbird.

The Blackbird was a reconnaissance plane used by the US Armed Forces between 1966-1989. James created a sculpture of this plane from terracotta clay, covered it in red slip, and carved Greek figures into its sides.

James’ second plane was the De Havilland Mosquito. The De Havilland Mosquito was a wooden, twin-engine combat aircraft used by the RAF from 1940-1963. James sculpted this from speckled stoneware clay, painted it with red slip, and carved Lupita patterns into it.

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.

Pyramid exhibition celebrates local artists who identify as queer and disabled 

The new Pyramid exhibition at Flamingos Coffee House, ‘Stand’ing with Flamboyance, explores work by Leeds-based artists who identify as LGBTQIA* and/or disabled and hopes to bring together interconnecting communities.  

Now open to the public, the exhibition features work from 21 local artists. The exhibition was curated by Heather and Leigh, both based at Pyramid, an organisation that invests in artists with learning disabilities, autism, or both. Heather and Leigh have been working together for over three years, but this is the first time either of them has curated and installed an exhibition.  

Leigh said: “We are regular patrons of Flamingos Coffee House. It’s a valued space for the Leeds queer community and is always a friendly and welcoming space. We expressed an interest in showing some work, which is when Flamingos offered the whole space to create a new exhibition.” 
Heather added: “We wanted to open this art call-out beyond Pyramid’s studio walls and show the work of the Leeds creative community. The work we received really shows different perspectives and experiences of gender, sexuality and living in disabled bodies.” 

Thomas Porteus, the new owner of Flamingos Coffee House, commented: “Representation matters. Spaces like this create opportunities for underrepresented artists to share their work, connect with the community, and challenge perceptions. Art is a powerful vehicle for change, and ‘STAND’ing with Flamboyance embodies that spirit. 

By bringing this exhibition to Flamingos Coffee House, we’re reinforcing our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ and disabled communities in Leeds and beyond. We want to ensure that creativity and expression know no barriers – and that every artist has a platform to be seen and celebrated. ‘STAND’ing with Flamboyance is more than just an art display – it’s a bold statement of visibility, pride, and creative brilliance. The show brings together a diverse group of artists who express their identities, experiences, and perspectives through a variety of artistic mediums.” 

‘Stand’ing with Flamboyance will remain on display at Flamingos Coffee House until the end of June (Pride Month). Visit: 10 Central, Arcade, Leeds, LS1 6DX between 11am-4pm Tuesday-Friday, 10.30am-5.30pm on Saturdays or 11am-4pm on Sundays. 

This story was published by In Your Area.

Happiness with the Legends and High Rise Music

In 2025, the Legends and High Rise Music groups co-produced Happiness, a sharing, with Leeds Lieder Festival.

Over twelve weeks, members of Legends and High Rise Music groups worked with Leeds Lieder musicians Philip Smith and Jonathan Fisher, experimenting with sound and visual art to create unique responses to the theme of Happiness.

This unique project which incorporates sound and visual art is a collaboration with Leeds Lieder Festival 2025, which promotes the enjoyment, understanding, appreciation, composition and performance of art song.

Behind the scenes with the Legends

Here are a few behind-the-scenes photos from the Legends group getting inspiration from Leeds Lieder Musicians Philip Smith and Jonathan Fisher and experimenting with shadow and light.

Making a Splash: Pyramid View On… Bramley Baths Exhibition – 19-21 June

Join the Next Step Pyramid group’s textile and sound exhibition, Making a Splash, at Bramley Baths from 19 – 21 June.

Making a Splash features artwork created in response to the Next Step Pyramid group’s visit to Bramley Baths. Inspired by water, swimming and community, this exhibition will showcase original artwork including textile and mark making, as well as sound the group produced using echome.

The free exhibition will take place in the Heritage Room (old steam room) and is open to everyone. A celebration event is taking place on Saturday 21 June from 1 – 3pm. This will be a chance to view the artwork, meet the artists, and make your own screen prints or music using echome.

Where? Bramley Baths, Broad Lane, Leeds (LS13 3DF)
Celebration Date: Saturday 21 June
Celebration Time: 1-3pm
Exhibition Dates: Thursday 19 June (10am- 8pm), Friday 20 June (10am – 4pm) and Saturday 21 June (10am – 3pm)
Cost: Free
Access: Please see our Bramley Baths Access Guide for detailed information https://pyramid.org.uk/bramley-baths-access-information-easy-read/

Pyramid View on… Bramley Baths is part of Learning Disability Week which takes place between 16 – 24 June.

Open Studios Tour for Creativity and Wellbeing Week – 19 May

Tour Pyramid’s accessible art studio for artists with learning disabilities and/or autism during Creativity and Wellbeing Week.

This one-hour tour is a chance to see Pyramid’s studio facilities, meet our Creative Programme Coordinator to learn more about our open studio project, Finding the Flex, and meet some of the artists we support who will be working in the studio. There will also be a pop-up library for a chance to look through our archive and learn about past projects Pyramid has been a part of.

This is a free tour, open to anyone interested in learning more about inclusive arts and the importance of making arts and culture accessible.

We’re running two tours on the day, please select a free ticket to book your spot:

Morning Tour: 11-12pm

Afternoon Tour: 1-2pm

To book your free ticket, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pyramid-open-studios-tour-tickets-1280871624509

Our Studio address is: Unit 3, 18 Croydon Street, Leeds LS11 9RT

For access information for Pyramid Studio, please see our guide: Pyramid-Studio-Unit-3-access-information-easy-read.pdf

About Finding The Flex
Finding The Flex project is a feasibility study for providing a flexible, supported, open arts studio for artists with learning disabilities, autism, or both. The project is delivered in collaboration with the University of Leeds School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). It is linked with the Irregular Art Schools research project.

The aim of the project is to test models for more flexible support and support plans for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, bringing a potential improvement to the way in which people are supported to access different activities in the future.

Making big change through big art: Inside the Pyramid Plan  

Pyramid, a Leeds-based arts charity supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autism to get into the arts, reveals its ambitions for the next four years. Coined the ‘Pyramid Plan’, this co-written strategy is the brainchild of the charity’s Visioning Group, made up of 10 artists with and without learning disabilities, autism, or both, who lead on the strategic direction of the organisation. Victor, Stephen Harvey and William Stapleton are Pyramid artists and members of the Visioning Group who helped write the Pyramid Plan.  

When asked what their motivation was behind writing the plan, William explained, “It was to talk about Pyramid and what we wanted to do.” 

A major ambition for this group is to ensure more people with learning disabilities, autism, or both, will have access to the right space, equipment, time and support to discover and explore the arts.  

Part of communicating this was creating a set of in-house easy-read symbols, using figures called ‘Pyramites’, and ensuring that the text in the plan was easy to understand by dropping jargon words like ‘strategy’. 

“A lot of the plan was everyone working together and sprawling notes on the Smartboard and then Victor took the lead on turning it into the text in the plan,” James Hill, Director of Pyramid, said.  

Stephen commented: “My favourite thing was the Pyramites and taking photos of the arrows in the corridors.”  

The arrows, or ticks, are formed from Pyramid’s logo. They were designed after the Visioning Group workshopped different words like plan, dream and vision. Members worked together to design their own ticks and they were photographed in different parts of Barkston House, where Pyramid’s office is located. The artwork symbolises the organisation’s desire to change, develop and progress.  

When asked what he hoped people would take away from reading the Pyramid Plan, William said: “Learn what we’re about and what we do. Pyramid is about doing art, drama and music. And that it’s good to learn new stuff and new skills.”  

Stephen added: “I recommend Pyramid because you get to see everyone and you get to see people who are different and they treat you normal. It gets you out as well and you get to see some artwork. I like making artwork at Pyramid.” 

The Pyramid Plan is available to read online, the pdf includes text, images and easy-read: https://pyramid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pyramid-Plan-2024-2028.pdf 

A plain-text version of the Pyramid Plan can be read online (size 16 font): https://pyramid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pyramid-Plan-2024-to-2028-plain-text.pdf 

This article was published by Leeds Inspired.

Pyramid shortlisted for Northern Music Award 

Pyramid has been shortlisted for the Flare Audio Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award at this year’s Northern Music Awards sponsored by Ticketmaster and Live Nation, hosted by music therapy charity, Nordoff and Robbins.  

High Rise Music, Pyramid’s weekly group for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), is in the running for this prestigious award which aims to celebrate groups that use music, arts and culture to support people with health, wellbeing and socio-economic issues.  

James Hill, Director of Pyramid, said: “We’re very proud to see our High Rise Music Group shortlisted for the Flare Audio Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award at this year’s Northern Music Awards. High Rise has, for over fifteen years, enabled people with PMLD  discover the joy of performing and co-producing music.  

High Rise supports people, irrespective of abilities or disabilities, to come together to create new and innovative music. Its members regularly work with professional musicians and have previously collaborated with Opera North and the Leeds Lieder Festival. The group have also produced many original musicals which have been performed in venues across Leeds.  It’s great to see this talented group get the spotlight they deserve.” 

Sandy Trappitt, Director of Fundraising, Nordoff and Robbins, said: “At Nordoff and Robbins, our music therapists use the power of music to help people across the UK connect, communicate and truly express themselves. 

We included the Music and Culture for Wellbeing award as part of the Northern Music Awards, alongside our artist and industry honours, to shine a light on some amazing Northern organisations who embed creativity into their health provision. The nominations we received this year were inspiring and we look forward to announcing the winner on the night.” 

The High Rise Music Group has ambitious plans to share its message of inclusivity and joy in its most recent collaboration with Leeds Lieder Festival, entitled ‘Happiness, a sharing’. The group will perform work inspired by the theme of happiness, co-produced with Leeds Lieder musicians, at an intimate concert at Archive in Leeds on Friday 4 April from 10am to 12pm. For more details and to book tickets, please visit: https://pyramid.org.uk/happiness-sharing25/ 

Pyramid’s High Rise Music Group is one of six shortlisted organisations for the Flare Audio Music and Culture for Wellbeing Award. The winner will be announced at this year’s Northern Music Awards ceremony, taking place on Thursday 27 March at Liverpool Olympia. The event also features performances from Blossoms, Lightning Seeds, The Zutons, Luvcat, Chiedu Oraka and very special guest, Dr John Cooper Clarke. Tickets are available for purchase online, with prices starting at £40 + £1 venue restoration levy.  

This story was published in West Leeds Dispatch, South Leeds Life, and Leeds Inspired.

Prints of Possibility

In 2024, ten Pyramid artists took part in a 12-month-long project called Prints of Possibility with Leeds Print Workshop. The project supported artists to explore printmaking and develop their own print-based creative practice.

This month, we’re celebrating these artists’ achievements on Patreon by showcasing some of the wonderful print-based artwork they’ve created during this project.

Pyramid would like to say a massive thank you to the team at Leeds Print Workshop for providing such amazing support and facilities for our artists. Having access to the workshop has allowed people to reimagine what it means to be an artist and to discover a new creative environment they can call their own!

Prints of Possibility is a partnership project with Leeds Print Workshop, kindly funded by Leeds Community Foundation.

Featured prints in Prints of Possibility Exhibition

View the prints being featured in our Prints of Possibility Exhibition taking place at Archive in Leeds from 18 – 24 March. Below is a list of artists (in order of the prints above) and the print-based artwork they’re exhibiting.

William, Pyramid development team member and Visioning Group member, is exhibiting a stencil screen print of Micky Mouse

Ria, Pyramid development team member and Irregular Art Schools artist, is exhibiting a collection of screen prints which will be sewn together to create a wall-hanging piece

Poppy, Pyramid Studio Facilitator, is exhibiting a monoprint of Ralph the dog

Lydia, Pyramid support artist,  is exhibiting a monoprint of a plant

Jem, Pyramid member, is exhibiting a monoprint of a family member and collection of abstract screenprints

Jaz, Pyramid member, is exhibiting a monoprint of musician Patti Smith

Heather, Pyramid development team member, is exhibiting a lino cut tote bag, monoprints and screen prints of illustrated characters

Hannah, Pyramid support artist, is exhibiting a monoprint of a nature scene 

Alfie, Pyramid development team member, is exhibiting a series of Doctor Who inspired screen prints

Behind the scenes with Prints of Possibility

Ten pyramid artists worked with Leeds Print Workshop over twelve months to learn new skills and develop their creative practices to include print-based work.

Here are some snaps from their time in the workshop!

Happiness, a sharing with Leeds Lieder Festival – 4 April

Join Pyramid groups Legends and High Rise Music at Archive for an informal sharing of music and visual art celebrating happiness, in collaboration with Leeds Lieder Festival musicians.

Inspired by interactive workshops led by Leeds Lieder musicians Philip Smith and Jonathan Fisher, members of Legends and High Rise Music spent twelve weeks experimenting with sound and visual art, creating unique responses to the theme of Happiness.

Audiences will hear the original music co-produced with Leeds Lieder musicians and view the visual art produced in response to the theme.

Happiness, a sharing is in partnership with Leeds Lieder Festival 2025, which promotes the enjoyment, understanding, appreciation, composition and performance of art song.

Where? Archive, 94 Kirkstall Road, Leeds LS3 1HD
Event Date: Friday 4 April 2025
Event Time: 10am – 12pm
Cost: £3-£9
Booking: To book your ticket, please visit our eventbrite page: https://happiness-sharing.eventbrite.co.uk
Access: Please see our Archive Access Guide for detailed information https://pyramid.org.uk/Archive-access-information-easy-read

Creating characters with Alexander

Alexander is a prolific illustrator who creates characters inspired by animated film and tv. He creates whole worlds and stories based on these characters – usually someone is in peril, a bad guy is trying to take over the world, or someone is heading to jail! Don’t worry though, there is always a good guy (or gal) to save the day! Alexander enjoys slapstick humour in which someone inevitably gets injured. He spends much of his time sharing these stories with others in the studio, and showing off his work.

At Pyramid, Alexander has been exploring working on a bigger scale with his ‘video game bad guys’ series, as well as his ‘sea monster pirate ship’ painting. His work is spread across the corners of the Pyramid studio, making our shared space bright and colourful and inspiring everyone who passes through.

For Pyramid’s 2024 Christmas market, he also turned some of his work into products for people to buy, such as Christmas decorations and a colouring book.

Seek & Find

When we say that Alexander is a prolific illustrator, we really mean it! He has a huge catalogue of characters, filling piles of folders. Here are just some he created in 2024! Can you find some of his most infamous characters?

Which one is your favourite?

From Page to Product

Alexander’s amazing characters lend themselves very well to becoming real world 3D objects. Working with his Support Artist Leigh, they created a digital 3D model of Ed Sheeran the Vampire and Thomas.

Ed Sheeran the Vampire

Ed Sheeran the Vampire, one of Alexander’s characters, was turned into a digital 3D model before being printed so he could fit inside his very own coffin. This video shows you the process from Page to Product!

Thomas

Thomas, one of Alexander’s characters, has made it from the 2D to the 3D – this video shows you the process from page to product!

Behind the scenes with Alexander

If you ever find yourself in the Pyramid studio (perhaps whilst browsing at one of our markets?), you might find secret hidden illustrations all over the place! Some symbols are in plain sight, like the golden eagle cane (with rubies for eyes) or the death ray diamond, destined for the Paris museum! Others, such as the eye symbol for the Monastery of Kathmandu might be a little trickier to find 👁️.

Alexander’s latest series of large scale canvases feature ‘bad guys’ from different video games, are wrapping their way around the small space in the Pyramid studio. Alexander learned how to safely hang them, using a voltage detector before a drilling or hammering. He is very proud to show off his work!

Prints of Possibility, 18-24 March

In 2024, Pyramid artists took part in a 12-month-long project called Prints of Possibility with Leeds Print Workshop. The project supported artists to explore printmaking and develop their own print-based creative practice.

We’re having a group exhibition at Archive from Tuesday 18 March to Monday 24 March 2025 to celebrate the success of the Prints of Possibility project and the amazing work our artists created. The exhibition will include new print-based work by 10 Pyramid artists. 

We will be hosting an exhibition celebration on Tuesday 18 March 11am – 1pm. This will be a chance to see the artwork, meet the artists and try making your very own screenprint. This is a drop-in event and everyone is welcome. 

Where? Archive, 94 Kirkstall Road, Leeds LS3 1HD
Celebration Event: Tuesday 18 March 2025 (11am – 1pm)
Exhibition Dates: 18 – 24 March 2025
Exhibition Times: Please see Archive’s website for opening hours https://archiveleeds.co.uk/
Booking: No booking required, just turn up
Cost: Free
Access: Please see our Archive Access Guide for detailed information https://pyramid.org.uk/Archive-access-information-easy-read

Pyramid would like to say a massive thank you to the team at Leeds Print Workshop for providing such amazing support and facilities for our artists. Having access to the workshop has allowed people to reimagine what it means to be an artist and to discover a new creative environment they can call their own! 

Prints of Possibility is a partnership project with Leeds Print Workshop, kindly funded by Leeds Community Foundation. 

Studio Days Spotlight: Conor Van Der Wert

Conor Van Der Wert is a member of our Next Step group and has been attending our Studio Days since it started in July 2024. Conor comes as often as he can, sometimes up to three times a week during holidays!

Conor’s favourite medium is drawing and he can often be found working on large artworks during his Studio Days session. He likes to draw using a variety of materials like felt tip pens, coloured pencils, oil pastels, wax crayons, and paint marker pens. He enjoys layering his work and stacking different patterns. Sometimes he’ll break through the paper too. Conor is currently working on a large red piece of work on paper.

While drawing, Conor likes to talk about different activities he has been to at Purple Patch Arts and Leeds Playhouse. Sometimes he’ll talk about what he’s seen like ambulances, houses, and taxis.

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 to 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.

Ladybirds by Ben Malcolm

Ben likes to build things up then break them down, creating chaotic reinterpretations of anything from picture frames, to synthesisers for his brother’s band, Vessels, to armies of giant ladybirds. He’s great at screen printing, and his ladybird tote bags are proving very popular in our web-shop!

Ladybird Builder

Ben’s most infamous and recognisable artwork is his ladybirds. He has made these to adorn tote bags, t-shirts, a whole Christmas tree and even screen printed lengths of wall paper! With this downloadable and printable PDF, you can collage your own Ladybirds and adorn anything and everything in your home!

Behind the scenes with Ben

At the start of every session, Ben and Carl play ‘pass the poo’, which came about after poo jokes between them. It took a while for Ben to warm up to the plastic poo and was unsure at first, which is why the game of throwing it to each other like a hot potato started. This game is now a ritual and no art can be made until the poo has been passed!

Ben has always enjoyed working with storage that can organise things, like bags and boxes. He started making his own bags from fabric and paper, decorating them with lady birds. This progressed to boxes, which are brightly painted before being collaged. Ben has a large collection of magazines which are stored inside the boxes, but are also used to decorate the outside. Ben is a ‘more is more’ artist who loves creating work en masse – the more the better!!

It’s Not Christmas Yet by Ultimate Thunder

Ultimate Thunder is an eight-piece Leeds-based post-experimental, post-punk, post-disco, band.

Formed in 2013, the band was supported by Pyramid for ten years before becoming independent. They received enormous support from Leeds musicians and the local community to help self-fund their second album. The band features Mathew Watson (frontman), John Densley (percussionist), James Heselwood (guitarist), Kenneth Stainburn (guitar and synth), Scott Anderson (drummer), Alex Sykes (keyboardist), John Greaves (bassist) and Stuart Illingworth (synth).

Predominately made up of people with learning disabilities, the band has released two studio albums and is set to release their debut Christmas song this month – and our Patreon members get to hear it first!

Their Christmas single drops on Wednesday, 4 December 2024, and will be available to stream on all platforms and available for purchase from Bandcamp. All sales from their Christmas song will be donated to Pyramid.

Find out more about this Leeds-based punk band that’s disrupting the music industry:
 
Ultimate Thunder: The disability rock band who ‘blow people away’ – BBC News

Music world comes together to help save Leeds learning disability band Ultimate Thunder | ITV News Calendar

Ultimate Thunder: Music industry rallies to help Leeds rock band – BBC News

Ultimate Thunder: A Spider Will Come To Eat Your Flesh – Review – ALBUM OF THE WEEK / MONTH!

Ultimate Thunder: The most punk-rock band in Britain – Big Issue

It’s Not Christmas Yet by Ultimate Thunder

Enjoy this Patreon-exclusive first listen to Ultimate Thunder’s debut Chrismas single It’s Not Christmas Yet. Click here to listen to the song.

The Christmas single will officially release on Wednesday, 4th December on streaming platforms and will be available to purchase from Bandcamp.

All sales from their Christmas song will be donated to Pyramid which will support our work with artists who have learning disabilities and/or autism.

Song courtesy of Ultimate Thunder. 

Behind the scenes with Ultimate Thunder

Ultimate Thunder came together to bring us some post-punk festive joy this Christmas. The result? The grumpiest Christmas classic yet.

Unsurprisingly, not all the band members were fans of Christmas and they brought their tongue-in-cheek lyrics to the table. Forget jingle bells and Christmas dinner (yuck). This song is all about the (very) long festive period filled with absurd traditions that often seem out of place in our day-to-day lives.

Because after all, it’s not Christmas yet.

Photos courtesy of Ultimate Thunder

Lyrics for It’s Not Christmas Yet

It’s Not Christmas Yet by Ultimate Thunder

Christmas Song

Reindeer, Christmas Tree, Snowman, Santa Claus

Go on get the Christmas spirit

Christmas pudding, Christmas cracker ah ah ay, what?

Ay, ay, ay Christmas dinner, Yuck

Don’t like blummin’ reindeers

Christmas Cake, For god sake

No, No,

It’s not Christmas yet

Nope, not Christmas yet

I know it’s not Christmas yet

Not a Christmas yet

A dog woo woo wee

Christmas fire

Saturday night, movie night

Go get the rabbit, come on

Dolphin, what?

Tiny rabbit hutch

Time for Christmas

Christmas begins

When the snowman comes

Christmas Claus for you all

Come on, it’s not Rudolph you know

No, No,

It’s not Christmas yet

It’s too early for Christmas

Urrrrrrrgh disgusting

No, No,

It’s not Christmas yet

Nope, not Christmas yet

I know it’s not Christmas yet

It’s not Christmas

I’ll not tell you again

You Christmas pudding

Not Christmas yet

Santa Claus, what you doing up there for?

It’s not Christmas yet, get out of here

It’s not Christmas yet, go to work

It’s not Christmas yet

It’s not Christmas yet

Ohhhh no

It’s not Christmas yet

It’s not Christmas

Lyrics and photo courtesy of Ultimate Thunder 

Christmas Gift Guide

Whether you’re looking to gift an artwork, recipe book, or monthly Pyramid swag this Christmas, there are many ways to find the perfect present for loved ones while supporting Pyramid at the same time. Read our Christmas Gift Guide to find out how you can support our work with artists with learning disabilities and/or autism this festive season.

Visit Pyramid Winter Art Market on Saturday 7 December (11-3pm)

Our Winter Art Market returns this year at the Pyramid Studio. You can expect to find amazing artwork for sale from Pyramid artists and other local makers. There will also be delicious hot chocolate to keep you warm and a family-friendly creative workshop.

Date: Saturday 07 December
Time: 11am-3pm
Location: Pyramid Studio (Unit 3, Croydon Street, LS11 9RT)

Gift a membership to Pyramid’s Patreon

Gifting a Pyramid Patreon membership is the perfect way to show your support for our work while also receiving monthly updates about our artists. Choose from one-month memberships up to a year. Memberships start from £5 for a digital supporter and £10 for a swag supporter. Memberships include digital content like exclusive digital downloads, behind-the-scenes photographs, and new merch for swag supporters like postcards, prints, and handmade badges.

To gift a Pyramid Patreon membership visit: https://patreon.com/Pyramid497/gift

Purchase handmade gifts and artwork from our shop

Our online shop features artwork from Pyramid artists including books, postcards and tea towels. We ship items from our shop anywhere in the UK so this is a perfect option to send to long-distance friends and family. Remember to get your orders in before 3pm on Friday 13 December to ensure the gifts are delivered in time for Christmas.

Browse our online shop at: https://pyramid.org.uk/shop/

Buy handmade gifts from Ria at Flavour Like Fancy in Headingley

If you prefer to buy your Christmas gifts from a shop, check out Flavour Like Fancy in Headingley. They feature handmade items from Pyramid artist, Ria, including lampshades, wooden coasters, pompom wreaths, poetry badges and more colourful pieces. Proceeds made from the collection support Pyramid’s work.

Visit Flavour Like Fancy’s shop at: Unit 29, Headingley Central Otley Road, Leeds LS6 2UE

Gift a donation to Pyramid

We rely on regular donations to support our work with people with learning disabilities and/or autism to discover the arts and develop their talents to become world-class artists. Donating to Pyramid on behalf of someone is a great way to give a meaningful gift that supports our charitable work.

Choose from a recurring to a one-off donation. We offer a variety of ways to donate like card, PayPal, or online banking. To donate in someone’s name visit: https://pyramid.org.uk/support-us/make-a-donation/

Support Pyramid while you shop

Looking for a specific Christmas gift? We’ve partnered with Easy Fundraising so you can support Pyramid even while buying gifts from major retailers. Choose to shop from stores that opt for Easy Fundraising and donate directly to Pyramid when you make a purchase. Find out more about Easy Fundraising here: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/pyramid/

We’ve also partnered with Making a Difference, so you can choose to support Pyramid when mailing out Christmas cards or e-cards. Send a card with Making a Difference here: https://gb.makingadifference.cards/supporting/pyramid

Find out about other ways you can support Pyramid while you shop here: https://pyramid.org.uk/support-us/support-us-when-you-shop-online/