Kirkstall Art Trail
Kirkstall Art Trail is an annual celebration of art, featuring local artists and creative organisations. We are a volunteer-led organisation located in the community of Kirkstall. We organise a free summer art trail where, for two days in July, a variety of venues host exhibitions, workshops, and activities.
Kirkstall Art Trail began as an annual event in 2015, taking place over a weekend in July.
Kirkstall Art Trail has grown over the years, with even more venues, artists, activities and visitors. It continued to be a big part of the Leeds creative calendar until 2019. The Covid pandemic forced a break on activities from 2020 until 2022. In 2023, the trail relaunched, welcoming over 1,400 visitors to Kirkstall, with the number increasing in subsequent years. The Art Trail has established its yearly creative mark on Kirkstall, and as a wider cultural highlight within Leeds and Yorkshire beyond.
Our Aims and objectives
We aim to create an event where people have the opportunity to learn new creative skills.
We aim to create an environment that allows visitors to derive inspiration and enjoyment from their interaction with the artists and the art trail as a whole.
We aim to support art in schools, where local schools welcome participation in the art trail. We aim to facilitate projects that give children first-hand experience working with professional artists.
We aim to encourage artists from all backgrounds to take part, where they feel that art is for them.
We aim to give encouragement, guidance, and support to new artists with the objective of boosting their confidence.
We aim to give space for established artists to share their work and knowledge with others.
We aim to make the event as welcoming and as accessible as possible. For example, investing time in ensuring that visitors have detailed accessibility information to empower them to make their own decisions.
We aim to create an impact in Kirkstall and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
We aim to offer a rich experience that will enhance people’s well-being and bring communities together.
We aim to create an invitation for people to get out in the locality, be sociable, and form lasting friendships and connections.
We aim to create and build upon partnerships with a variety of organisations that provide venues for the event. These include heritage sites such as Kirkstall Abbey, along with local community spaces, schools, allotments, sports and social clubs, and the church.
We aim to create a supportive neighbourhood network that empowers local residents to take part by opening up their homes as mini art galleries.
These aims help to create unique opportunities for artists to show their work in unusual settings and for visitors to view art outside of a traditional gallery.
Why Kirkstall Art Trail is needed
Kirkstall Art Trail’s main beneficiaries are the local residents and the surrounding areas of West Leeds. According to the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, the area is more deprived than most neighbourhoods within Leeds and England, and is within the bottom third percentile. The surrounding areas also fall into this percentile, with some adjacent areas much lower (1). Kirkstall Art Trail has a demonstrable impact on the community and for artists who take part (2).
The Art Trail builds positivity in the community.
Feedback from previous events confirms that people derive enormous enjoyment, inspiration, and a sense of well-being from their interaction with the artists and art trail as a whole. The local event has empowered residents to take part, either by opening up their homes, or inspired a return in subsequent years as an artist themselves. Engaging with their neighbours has also created a supportive network in the wider community.
The Art Trail provides much-needed opportunities for artists.
There are few opportunities for artists to show their work to the wider public. This is especially true for those who are starting out or lack the confidence to gain access to the art world through traditional channels. As the event is free to participate in it removes the risk or barrier that paying up front creates. Emerging artists have told us that their experience of the art trail, from application through to the weekend event, has been both friendly and supportive.
The Art Trail in 2026
In 2024 and 2025, we recruited over 100 artists, performers, and workshop facilitators. With over 35 venues hosting them across the LS5 postcode area (3). We look to repeat this in 2026.
In 2026, three regular projects will return. These are:
- ‘Capture Kirkstall’ photography competition
- the sustainable Fashion Show
- the Poetry Trail and spoken word event
Other planned projects include working with two local secondary schools on a ‘street art’ project, and with a variety of community groups on a ‘bunting project.’ Professional artists will lead both of these projects. We are also adding to the number of areas with mural art in Kirkstall, with the aim of creating a vibrant trail that can be viewed all year round.
Why you should sponsor us
The Trail is only made possible by the generosity of individuals, businesses, and our funders.
Sponsorship helps us to continue to create an exciting programme. It makes a real difference to the impact that the Trail has, the number of people we can reach out to, and the amount of activities and artist support we can deliver.
The Art Trail is a wonderful way to bring communities together; it is an invitation for people to get out in the locality, be sociable, and form lasting friendships and connections. Engaging with art can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being; this is a testament to the feedback from our volunteers, as well as from previous participants.
Art has the power to transform lives, build connections, and leave a lasting legacy. Your sponsorship will help support Kirkstall Art Trail achieve this.
Sponsorship Options
The different tiers for sponsorship are set out below:
£50
Business logo and a thank you on our website’s ‘2026 Supporters’ page.
£175
Business logo or image, one paragraph, and a link to your business on the ‘2026 Supporters’ page.
Shout out and feature on our social media.
£500
All the benefits of the tiers above, plus:
The opportunity to advertise at our venues (with the provision of your own marketing materials).
£750
All the benefits of the tiers above, plus:
Business logo featured as a sponsor on the printed map (timeframe permitting).
£1,000+
All the benefits of the tiers above, plus:
Business logo featured as a sponsor on the Kirkstall Art Trail leaflet and poster – distributed in various locations across Leeds (timeframe permitting).
Notes
1
Kirkstall is in the Leeds Central and Headingley parliamentary constituency. The Leeds 045C is more deprived Overall (IMD) than 76% of neighbourhoods in England according to the English indices of deprivation 2025.
2
Recorded visitor impact from across several years.
2024
Feedback from visitors included: “Thank you for organising such a brilliant weekend. You must all have worked so hard, and I send you hearty congratulations. I met so many interesting people and saw so much impressive and varied artwork, and in such a wonderful range of settings too. WELL DONE”. “The website looks fantastic! Artists and venues really clear and great overall identity and ease of use. Thank you, it looks so professional!”
Feedback from host venues: “We loved being a part of it, thought it was really well organised and would definitely like to be part of it again.”
Feedback from artists included: “Can I extend my thanks to you and the KAT24 team for the superb organisation of the event and the brilliant communication and publicity that was so evident. I had an excellent two days, met new artists and had great conversations with people visiting the art trail.”
2023
Feedback included: “This place is amazing,” quoted by a 4-year-old at St Stephen’s Church. “Lovely exhibition. Thank you for sharing your craft in such a beautiful display. All the best for establishing your new setup in the UK.” “So wonderful to see your work and chat about creativity and processes. Thank you.” “The work looks fantastic. What an amazing bunch of young people to work with,” Louise Mortimer, workshop facilitator. “Great exhibition, lovely to see the kids’ work.”
3
Kirkstall Art Trail 2025 – the event recruited over 100 artists, with 35 host venues across Kirkstall, and drew in more than 1,500 visitors (more than in 2023). In 2025 the weekend experienced torrential rain, in 2024 the visit numbers exceeded 2,000. The cost of putting on Kirkstall Art Trail in 2025 was £5,000. This included project costs, promotional costs (printing, design), administration costs, and public liability insurance. There is also great value in the volunteer hours estimated at over 1,200 hours over six months.