Being a host venue for Kirkstall Art Trail is “fabulous”! Don’t take our word for it; that’s what one of the first-time hosts told us in 2024. “It was fabulous, thank you for encouraging us to get involved, and for making it all so easy and well organised.”

Many new hosts can be wary and a little apprehensive to begin with. But with support from the organisers, we can help hosts feel more at ease and instead look forward to the Art Trail. Another first-time host told us, “We loved being a part of it, thought it was really well organised, and would definitely like to be part of it again.”

There are questions you may have about what to expect as a host venue. There are answers to questions about preparing for the weekend in the FAQs. Below are answers to questions you may have before you become a venue:

What area does Kirkstall Art Trail cover? Please see the maps below for the Art Trail in 2024 and the general area we cover. We can consider venues outside this area.

What venues are you looking for? The short answer is any. From houses to retail units, and even heritage and community buildings. The only criteria are that they are easy to access by the general public. 

What information do you need to know about my venue? We will need the venue address, a main contact name, phone number, and email address. We will also need to know access information for the venue. There is guidance on how to provide access information, and one of the organisers is on hand to help you do this. Other useful information is how many artists you are able to host in your venue. We are happy to meet face-to-face, talk via telephone, or over email if you want to discuss things in more detail. 

Do I have to attach their art to my walls? No. It is up to you whether you will allow the artist to attach their work directly to your walls or not. We let artists know that, because they are exhibiting in unconventional venues, to think about ways to display their work. We give them creative suggestions on how they can do this. There is more information in “Working With the Venue – How can I display my work?” on the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

How do you match the artists to the venues? Once we have all the artist applications and have confirmed all the venues, we will match them up. Some of the artists will have given us venue preferences or accessibility requirements. This will factor into our decisions. 

How do we meet the artists? We will email the host and the artists to introduce you initially. The email will contain important information, including contact details. It is generally up to both parties to arrange to meet up and discuss the weekend arrangements. If you would like a chaperone when this first meeting happens, please let us know. We do not want either the artist or the host to feel uncomfortable. You can contact us by email at any time if you have got questions about the process. 

So if you’re interested and would like to become a host venue, get in touch with us.