Attenborough Arts Centre

Last updated
Gallery 1 at the Attenborough Arts Centre, with Mik Godley's Considering Silesia 08.06.21 Mik Godley 001.jpg
Gallery 1 at the Attenborough Arts Centre, with Mik Godley's Considering Silesia

Attenborough Arts Centre is an arts centre on Lancaster Road, Leicester, United Kingdom. [1] It is the University of Leicester arts centre but also serves Leicester as a whole. The centre's access and inclusive work has been recognised, through multiple awards and grants from Arts Council England, BBC Children in Need, LeicesterShire Promotions, Art Fund and Paul Hamlyn Foundation. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The centre is inspired by the work of filmmaker, actor and patron of the arts Richard Attenborough. It was opened in 1997 by Diana, Princess of Wales, after six years of funding efforts from Attenborough, just three months before her death. [4]

With an increase in attendances and a greater demand for a gallery space in Leicester, in 2012 plans were announced for a new 300 square meters of exhibition space to be built on the east side of the building. On 17 November 2015, Sir Peter Bazalgette, Sir David Attenborough and Michael Attenborough CBE opened the Attenborough Arts Centre's new £1.5 million art gallery, one of the largest contemporary art galleries in the region. The building was funded by over 1,000 public donations, Arts Council England and the University of Leicester. [5]

In March 2020 the building was forced to closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and many of the creative courses, performances and events were cancelled. Despite the pandemic, many of courses were able to continue, notably their student-orientated Wildcard Wednesday and History of Art classes. [6] For the international students who were unable to go back to their home countries during the pandemic, the weekly art boxes were received well and were "a relief from the stresses of [the pandemic]." [7] The Attenborough Arts Centre was one of 1,385 cultural and creative organisations across the country to receive emergency financial support from Department of Media Culture and Sport. [8] This was announced as part of the very first round of the Culture Recovery Fund grants programme being administered by Arts Council England. In March 2021 they announced they had received further support as part of phase two. [9]

In April 2022 Michaela Butter MBE retired as Director of Attenborough Arts Centre, having served 12 years in post. Her successor, Andrew Fletcher, took up the role in April 2022.

Facilities

Attenborough Arts Centre hosts a gallery space, creative learning courses and a programme of in-house performances. The programme offers performance, courses and workshops, contemporary art exhibitions, and activities for children and families. [2] The centre's gallery shows contemporary art. Opened in 2015, this extension doubled the size of the existing building as part of a £1.5 million capital project. [5]

The main Hall has a built-in light rigs, induction loop, and movable raised seating. The versatile nature of the space has allowed it to host a range of activities including theatre, music, dance, spoken word and comedy.

Selected exhibitions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Leicester</span> Public university in England

The University of Leicester is a public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, University College, Leicester, gained university status in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arts Council England</span> Arts organisation in London, England

Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. The arts funding system in England underwent considerable reorganisation in 2002 when all of the regional arts boards were subsumed into Arts Council England and became regional offices of the national organisation.

esea contemporary, formerly the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, is a contemporary art gallery based in Manchester, England. It is located on Thomas Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter in the renovated part of the Smithfield Market Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southbank Centre</span> Complex of artistic venues in London, England

Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of Contemporary Art Australia</span> Art museum in Sydney, Australia

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), formerly the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, is located on George Street in The Rocks neighbourhood of Sydney. The museum is housed in the Stripped Classical/Art Deco-styled former Maritime Services Board (MSB) building on the western side of Circular Quay. A modern wing was added in 2012.

An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational facilities, technical equipment, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicester Museum & Art Gallery</span> Museum in Leicester, England

The Leicester Museum & Art Gallery is a museum on New Walk in Leicester, England, not far from the city centre. It opened in 1849 as one of the first public museums in the United Kingdom. Leicester Museum & Art Gallery contains displays of science, history and art, both international and local. The original building was designed by Joseph Hansom, designer of the hansom cab. It has been expanded several times, most recently in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artist-run space</span> Organization initiated and run by artists

An artist-run space or artist-run centre (Canada) is a gallery or other facility operated or directed by artists, frequently circumventing the structures of public art centers, museums, or commercial galleries and allowing for a more experimental program. An artist-run initiative (ARI) is any project run by artists, including sound or visual artists, to present their and others' projects. They might approximate a traditional art gallery space in appearance or function, or they may take a markedly different approach, limited only by the artist's understanding of the term. "Artist-run initiatives" is an umbrella name for many types of artist-generated activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Richardson</span> Canadian artist

Kelly Richardson is a Canadian artist working with digital technologies to create hyper-real landscapes. She is currently a professor at the Department of Visual Arts of the University of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberystwyth Arts Centre</span> Arts centre in Aberystwyth, Wales

Aberystwyth Arts Centre is an arts centre in Wales, located on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus. One of the largest in Wales, it comprises a theatre, concert hall, studio and cinema, as well as four gallery spaces and cafés, bars, and shops.

Outset Contemporary Art Fund is an arts charity established in 2003, and based in London, England.

Adam Chodzko is a contemporary British artist, exhibiting internationally. His practice uses a wide range of media, including video, installation, photography, drawing, and performance.

The Melbourne Arts Precinct is home to a series of galleries, performing arts venues and spaces located in the Southbank district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It includes such publicly-funded venues as Arts Centre Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria and Southbank Theatre, along with various offices and training institutions of arts organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Attenborough</span> British actor (1923–2014)

Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, was an English actor, film director, and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Museums Trust</span> Charity operating museums and galleries in the City of York, North Yorkshire, England

York Museums Trust (YMT) is the charity responsible for operating some key museums and galleries in York, England. The trust was founded in 2002 to run York's museums on behalf of the City of York Council. It has seen an increase in annual footfall of 254,000 to the venues since its foundation. In both 2016 and 2017, it saw its annual visitors numbers reach 500,000 people.

The South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) formerly known as Bega Valley Regional Gallery is a publicly funded art gallery and cultural facility located in the town centre of Bega in south eastern New South Wales, Australia. The gallery showcases contemporary Australian visual culture with up to ten exhibitions annually. In 2016 the gallery expanded its footprint as the cultural outpost on Australia’s Coastal Wilderness and launched two project spaces, one at the Merimbula Airport and one at the Port of Eden Welcome Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillman Barracks</span>

Gillman Barracks is a contemporary arts cluster in Singapore that is home to international art galleries, restaurants and the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, which are all housed in conserved colonial barracks. Gillman Barracks lies near to Alexandra Road, and the 6.4-hectare (16-acre) site covers Lock Road and Malan Road amid greenery. Gillman Barracks is jointly developed by the Singapore Economic Development Board, JTC Corporation and the National Arts Council.

The Culture Recovery Fund is a grants programme issued by the UK Government as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund aims to financially support cultural organisations in England which had become financially unviable as a result of national and local restrictions. It is administered by Arts Council England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art</span> Gallery, advocacy body in New South Wales

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, formerly known as Gallery 4A, 4A Galleries, Asia-Australia Arts Centre and also known simply as 4A, is an Australian independent not-for-profit organisation based in the Haymarket area of Sydney, New South Wales. It commissions, exhibits, documents and researches Asian and Asian-Australian contemporary art in Australia, and promotes Australian talent in Asia, promoting and maintaining cultural connections between the nation and the region. The gallery and the associated Performance 4A were founded by the Asian Australian Artists Association Inc. in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tŷ Pawb</span> Art gallery, market, and community space in Wrexham, Wales

Tŷ Pawb is an arts centre in Wrexham, Wales. It serves as a venue for arts, cultural and community events, as well as being a market and art gallery. A redevelopment of the former Wrexham People's Market between Chester Street and Market Street in Wrexham city centre, the community centre opened on 2 April 2018. It provides exhibitions, a gallery, a food court, small stage concerts and live events, as well as a market space for local traders and the relocation of Oriel Wrecsam. A multi-storey car park is located on top of Tŷ Pawb, on the building's upper floors.

References

  1. "Attenborough Arts Centre (Formerly Embrace Arts) -". thingstodoinleicester.com. Archived from the original on 2016-07-11. Retrieved 2016-06-22.
  2. 1 2 "Our Vision". Attenborough Arts Centre. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  3. "Attenborough Arts Centre". Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  4. Ruddy, Austin J. (2017-08-31). "Princess Diana's final Leicester visit – just three months before she died". leicestermercury. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  5. 1 2 "Award-winning Attenborough Arts Centre opens new gallery | Arts Council England".
  6. "Arts at a Distance | Attenborough Arts Centre | University of Leicester". April 17, 2020.
  7. Unwin, Adam (November 16, 2020). "Attenborough Lockdown Festival | Attenborough Arts Centre | University of Leicester".
  8. Unwin, Adam (October 13, 2020). "Attenborough Arts Centre receives lifeline grant from Government's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund | Attenborough Arts Centre | University of Leicester".
  9. Unwin, Adam (April 2, 2021). "Second DCMS and AAC Culture Recovery Grant | Attenborough Arts Centre | University of Leicester".

52°37′28″N1°07′32″W / 52.6245°N 1.1256°W / 52.6245; -1.1256