The arts organisation East Street Arts has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the creation of an artist-designed and run ‘art hostel’ in Leeds.
With 20 years experience as a social enterprise developing buildings for artists – including pop-up shops, state of the art studio complexes and artists’ houses within community settings – East Street sees the hostel as a way to support grassroots activity within the city. Once launched, it is hoped it will be self-sustaining.
The hostel – for which premises have already been secured – is intended as a place for new people arriving in the city to more easily meet and become part of the creative community.
“Leeds has a thriving grassroot and DIY art scene,” say East Street. “The Art Hostel puts a stake in the ground and makes a foundation for artistic practice to grow from, as well as a landing platform for people to enter into the city’s culture.”
The crowdfunder hopes to raise £5000 to support the commissioning of artists to design, create and decorate the space, transforming it into an art experience and living installation.
As a taster of what is to come, there are number of ingeniously playful crowdfunding perks to satisfy the curiosity of project backers. These range from handmade, limited edition shower caps to the chance to work with commissioned artists on a hostel room of your own design and naming.
“At East Street Arts we love to be welcomed into artists’ minds and see their vision,” says the crowdfunding campaign’s Indiegogo video. “The Art Hostel is an opportunity for us to bring artists and public together to make dynamic new experiences and moments you’ll never forget.”
To support the campaign visit East Street Arts’ Indiegogo page
More on a-n.co.uk:
Crowdfunding the arts: why it’s about much more than money – Henrietta Norton on why crowdfunding should be about supporting arts projects that are risky and different
