Heritage Open Day 2016

Explore 170 years of art history at Leeds College of Art...

Join us on 10 September 2016, between 12-4pm at our Vernon Street building to mark the country's largest heritage festival Heritage Open Days 2016, an annual celebration of local history, architecture and culture.

We are one of the few remaining independent art schools in the UK, and we are celebrating our 170th anniversary this year! Learn about our heritage and discover the creativity that goes on within our walls. See below for booking details. 

Tours of our Vernon Street building running throughout the day

Enjoy a tour of our 1903 purpose built art school at Vernon Street, Leeds; where internationally renowned artists such as Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Damien Hirst all once studied. Explore the history of the College and learn about the development of art education in Leeds. View a display of old images from the College’s archive, including old photographs of past students.

Activities and workshops running throughout the day 

Adult workshops

Have a go at printmaking! The print workshop will be running live demonstrations and free try-out sessions. There’s also tours of the black-and-white darkrooms, where you can see the process of a photo being exposed and then developed in chemical trays.

Young Creatives workshops 

Gelli Printing Workshop (suitable for children aged 7-11)
Printing with gelli plates made from gelatine is an easy, instant and fun way to create monoprints.
Taking inspiration from artist and alumni Trevor Bell you will create your own colourful layered print to take home.

Drawing workshop (suitable for children aged 7-16)
Drawing class exploring colour and shape; taking inspiration from Leeds College of Art alumni artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Trevor Bell and Alison Britton. You will create a little book of your drawings to take home.

Please note that these classes are not suitable for children under the age of 7 and children should be accompanied by adults at all times.

Booking details

This is a free event. To give us an idea of numbers booking is required, click here to book. You can attend anytime between 12-4pm and tours and activities will be running throughout the day on a first come first served basis.

You can choose which workshop you’d like to sign up to when you arrive, whether that’s one or all of them! Although, please note there will be limited places for each activity, so arrive early to avoid disappointment. 

Heritage Open Days is the country’s largest heritage festival with around 5,000 events, over 40,000 volunteers and more than three million visitors taking part. Celebrating local history, architecture and culture, the four-day event offers everyone the chance to see hidden places and experience something new - all of which are completely free to explore.

Heritage Open Days operates as part of the National Trust with funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Established in 1994, it is England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days, which is held annually in September in 50 signatory states to the European Cultural Convention.

For more information and to find out about events across England: www.heritageopendays.org.uk