Kirkstall Art Trail relies on volunteer venues to host artists each year – private homes, businesses, and community spaces across Kirkstall. This page covers everything involved in hosting, from deciding whether to apply through to the event weekend itself.
- Event dates: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2027, 11am to 5pm
- Ready by: 10.45am on both days
Interested in hosting? Register your interest on the host venues page, or contact us, selecting ‘Host venues’.
Before you apply
Area covered
The map below shows the area we generally cover.
We consider venues outside this area on a case-by-case basis – contact us to check.
Venues we’re looking for
We consider any venue type – from houses to retail units, and even heritage and community buildings. Being easy for the general public to locate helps, though we assess each venue on its own merits.
Information needed about your venue
The checklists below cover what we need when you register interest, and once you agree to take part. Discussions can happen face-to-face, by phone, or by email.
1. To register your interest
- main contact name
- mobile number
- email address
- venue address, if you want to give it at this stage
2. Once you agree to take part
- venue address
- photograph of your venue
- access information for your venue
- how many artists your venue can host
Need help with access information? See your visitor access guide below.
Matching artists to venues
Once we have received all artist applications and confirmed venues, we match artists to venues, taking into account any preferences or access needs artists and venues have given us.
Your contact details
When we match your venue with artists, we share your contact details with them and with your venue’s artist support, if it has one. We publish your venue’s address and access guide on our website, but not your name or contact details.
Meeting your artist
We introduce hosts and artists by email, which includes contact details. It’s generally left to both of you to arrange a first meeting. Support from an organiser is available if you’d like it.
Displaying work on your walls
It’s up to you whether artists can attach work directly to your walls. We encourage artists to think about how to display their work, given they’re exhibiting in unconventional venues – see displaying your work on the information for artists page.
Insurance and safety
Public liability insurance
We purchase event public liability insurance, covering all participating venues, whether private, public, or business.
- You remain responsible for the structural safety and security of your own venue, and for your own contents and belongings – this isn’t covered by our event insurance.
- For private residences, this includes basic structural safety obligations under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957.
Send us any queries about this insurance and what it covers using the concerns and enquiries form, selecting ‘Insurance’.
Individual artists must hold their own public liability insurance, covering damage to your home caused by their work. See insurance and risk assessment on the information for artists page.
Risk assessment
We provide a general event risk assessment to all venues and artists, included in your welcome pack. As part of this, please:
- test that your main exit door opens easily from the inside, and that the escape route is unobstructed
- be aware of the maximum number of visitors your space can safely hold at one time, and monitor this during the event
- notify us immediately of any accidents, near misses, or new safety hazards that arise during event hours
Report any risk not covered by the assessment to us immediately, using the concerns and enquiries form, selecting ‘Health and safety’.
Health and safety policy
We have a ‘health and safety policy’, setting out responsibilities for coordinators, venue hosts, artists, volunteers, and visitors. We provide a copy to hosts ahead of the event.
Report any concern not covered by the policy or risk assessment to us immediately, using the concerns and enquiries form, selecting ‘Health and safety’.
In an emergency, call 999 first, then let us know as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Your visitor access guide
A detailed access guide lets visitors know what access will be like before they arrive, describing the route in and what your facilities are like inside. As access needs vary, this lets visitors make their own informed choices about where to visit.
We ask all venues for an access description, using the visitor access guide form. The form covers:
- full address, including postcode
- venue description – the approach to your building, the entrance, and the interior, including ground surface, steps, door widths, and similar details; private residences aren’t expected to have step-free entrances or wide doorways, but we still need a description of what’s there
- dogs – whether assistance dogs and pet dogs are permitted, and any facilities you provide, such as water bowls or waste bins
- toilets – whether toilet facilities are available, and if so, whether they’re accessible or include baby-changing facilities; private residences aren’t obliged to offer toilet access
- food and drink – whether refreshments are available, and any relevant detail such as dietary options; private residences aren’t obliged to offer food or drink
- a photograph of your venue, showing the approach and entrance, to help visitors recognise it in advance
Some venues also include directions on how to find them – you can provide this where relevant, or we’ll put it together directly where it isn’t needed.
We’ve put together step-by-step guidance on completing the form, including worked examples for both a public venue and a private residence, in how to fill in the visitor access guides. We’re happy to support you with the form on request.
Preparing your venue
The venue welcome pack
You’ll receive a welcome pack, split between digital documents and physical items delivered in person.
Sent digitally
- event risk assessment
- health and safety policy
- safeguarding policy
- lost and found child and adult at risk policy
- private property terms and conditions, for private residences
Physical pack contents
- visitor monitoring forms and comment book
- Art Trail maps and posters
- photography consent notice, for display
- insurance document, for reference
- private – no entry signs, for private residences
- arrows and bunting
- venue number signage
For any questions after receiving your pack, or requests for extra signage, contact us selecting ‘Host venues’.
Please return physical pack contents to us at the close of the event. Reusing pack contents helps us reduce costs in subsequent years, and supports our environmental sustainability commitment.
Preparing the space
Put away: valuables, and anything not intended for public display, in a room that won’t be open to visitors – mark this as private using the signs from your welcome pack.
Leave out: rooms you’re opening, decluttered and cleaned. Remember to keep clear access to fire exits at all times.
Displaying signage
- Display the photography consent notice, QR code poster, and any other posters somewhere prominent, where visitors can easily see them.
- Place your venue number signage outside, somewhere clearly visible and easy for visitors to scan the QR code.
- Put bunting and arrows outside your venue where visitors will clearly see them.
- You’re also welcome to decorate with yellow-themed items or other decorations.
See finding venues on the plan your visit page for examples.
Working with your artist
Agree with your artist in advance which facilities they can use during the event – for example, the bathroom, kitchen, or storage space.
Discuss display arrangements in advance too:
- clearly define the available space for the Art Trail
- arrange with your artist when they can install their work
- be available to answer questions or help troubleshoot issues during setup
- consider the logistics of hosting their work in your venue during the event
- arrange how they’ll pack down and remove their work afterwards
Refreshments and toilets
You’re not expected to provide refreshments for visitors, unless it’s your venue’s business, such as a café. If you choose to provide tea and cake, consider the size of your space, your supply of crockery, and the clean-up involved. It’s illegal to sell alcohol without an appropriate licence.
Toilets aren’t required for visitors unless normally open to the public. Private residences aren’t expected to provide a toilet for visitors – this is entirely at your own discretion.
During the Art Trail
Opening hours
The Art Trail is open from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 July 2027. Everyone should be ready by 10.45am.
Supervision
Don’t leave your space unattended – you or your artist should be there at all times, ensuring visitors get the most out of their visit. See setup, attendance, and breaks on the information for artists page for guidance on arranging cover.
Meeting and greeting visitors
- Keep a tally of visitor numbers and record this on the monitoring form provided in your welcome pack.
- Welcome visitors and share helpful information about the Art Trail, such as activities, nearby venues, and maps.
- Encourage visitors to leave a comment, sign up to the newsletter using the QR code poster, and visit the Kirkstall Art Trail website.
Venue directory and venue pages
Once we’ve confirmed all artists and venues, we create both an artist directory and a venue directory, published closer to the date of the Art Trail. We number each venue with reference to its location on the map.
Links in the venue directory lead to individual venue pages, giving visitors extra information to help plan their visit. Each venue page lists the artists and activities at that venue, followed by its access guide – covering the full address, venue description, and details on dogs, toilets, and food and drink, along with a photograph of the venue.
Social media
You’re welcome to share photos from the weekend – see publicity and promotion on the information for artists page for how we use social media.
Related information
- Information for artists – everything involved in taking part as an artist
- Access statement – how Kirkstall Art Trail approaches accessibility across the event and website
- Environmental sustainability commitment – how Kirkstall Art Trail works to reduce its environmental impact