Leeds
Contact: Karen Watson, Artistic Director
This Leeds-based arts organisation focuses on artists’ needs, responding to demands at whatever stage of development in their career. Artists benefit from tailored support, one-to-one hour-long conversations and then long-term relationships, which might include programming or residencies.
East Street Arts has links with a number of universities – Leeds Beckett, Leeds University, Huddersfield, Sheffield Hallam and Leeds College of Art. Although not solely responsible for any formally accredited programmes, the company has helped to deliver modules within these university settings, working project by project and often using their own resources.
At Leeds University, East Streets Arts has worked with MA students on Entrepreneurship. At Sheffield Hallam, they have worked with Architecture students. In all cases, the monitoring of the students’ experience is on-going, through conversations. Although not tailored to different communities, East Street Arts is aware of the relevant diversity issues, for example the gender imbalances in New Technologies.
East Street Arts would like to see more collaboration with HE and argues that the universities need to put more resources into partnership working. This would be a way of retaining talented people in the Leeds area.