What happens when a group of creatively restless friends meet in a bar and decide to challenge each other to bring new life to abandoned work?

Collaborations! was born from a group of Horsforth-based artists who also happen to live near each other. One evening, a discussion was sparked over works that they couldn’t get on with. The premise? Take what was rejected by each artist, share and bring new life to abandoned beginnings, to the pieces of work that never made the cut.

Each member of the group contributed a piece they never intended to finish. Over the course of a year, these pieces were swapped and reworked creating a chain of creation as each work moved from one artist to the next.

The rules were that everyone was given free reign, with no questions asked over their intentions. The act in itself was one of releasing control, trust and experimentation, of letting go, of reimagining and interpretation. All “rejects” became new artworks with a new life — and a new story.

Works will be displayed with both the stages of creation and the final piece, allowing the viewer to also participate in the process of appraisal and creating their own meaning from the works themselves.

Join us for the free-to-attend exhibition opening on Friday 24th October, which will be accompanied by a short Q&A with the artists. Refreshments will be provided.