A Keighley Creative Trip to Middlesbrough
“Middlesbrough’s cultural activities prove that post-industrial northern towns can provide enrichment for their residents and visitors, something Keighley Creative is committed to continuing in its home town.”
Thursday, 8 October 2026
Author: Bob Smith
Middlesbrough has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the past few weeks, but here’s a thing: this Teesside town has long been a centre for the arts and culture. It has three art galleries, it's home to the Northern College of Art, it stages Middlesbrough Art Week, which has just ended; and this year it’s hosting the Turner Prize (it was Bradford’s turn in 2025).
When Marion Harrison of Yorkshire Sculpture International visited Keighley Creative’s new Hanover Works building in September, she invited trustee Bob Smith and Jan Smithies, the KC projects development and funding support consultant, to join YSI’s trip to Middlesbrough.
As well as enabling them to view the works of the four artists shortlisted for this year’s Turner prize, (hosted by Teesside University’s Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art [MIMA]) the visit provided an opportunity to observe how other creative organisations operate, and speak to some of the people involved.
One such organisation was The Auxiliary, a community interest company that has much in common with Keighley Creative. Artist-led, it recently opened in a repurposed industrial building in the town centre. It provides 27 artists’ studios and a large gallery and works with local artists in an events programme. Jan and Bob chatted with staff at the venue, toured the studios and heard about funding for its four staff, including as a national portfolio organisation for Arts Council England.
In Centre Square, as part of Middlesbrough Art Week, several shipping containers had been set up to display artists’ work and Little Boro provided children’s creative activities, something that chimes with Keighley Creative’s programme of community work.
“Middlesbrough’s cultural activities prove that post-industrial northern towns can provide enrichment for their residents and visitors, something Keighley Creative is committed to continuing in its home town.” - Bob Smith
Yorkshire Sculpture International is a partnership between the Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth Wakefield, Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, celebrating Yorkshire as a hub for sculptural excellence.
The Turner Prize shortlisted artists are: Simeon Barclay, Kira Freije, Marguerite Humeau and Tanoa Sasraku. The winner will be announced on 10 December.
Gallery
