Music and the Art School

Curator: Marianna Tsionki, Associate Professor and University Curator, Leeds Arts University

Guest co-curator: Gavin Butt, Professor Fine Art, Northumbria University

Exhibition preview: 13 February 2025 5:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Blenheim Walk Gallery, Leeds Arts University, Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ

Free entry. Booking not required.

Blenheim Walk Gallery is thrilled to present ‘Mixed Up: Music and the Art School’, an exhibition exploring the profound and often unconventional relationship between art education in Leeds and local and global music culture. Based on the groundbreaking research underpinning Gavin Butt's book ‘No Machos or Pop Stars: When the Leeds Art Experiment Went Punk’, this exhibition examines how the experimental spirit of the art school shaped the radical, boundary-pushing sounds of a city music scene of lasting international significance. The exhibition celebrates the rich legacy of Leeds’ art school culture in the 1970s and 1980s highlighting its role in fostering cross-media experimentation, showing the unorthodox moves of painters and performance artists who chose to make music. Building on their example, the exhibition also asks us to consider the ongoing entanglement of art and music today.

Central to the exhibition is how punk and post-punk DIY culture related to the teaching and resources of three art schools in Leeds—Jacob Kramer College (now Leeds Arts University), University of Leeds, and Leeds Polytechnic. Rejecting traditional hierarchies and commercial pressures, students at these institutions embraced independence and collective creativity, deeply shaping music culture. From iconic post-punk bands like The Mekons and Gang of Four to synth-pop group Soft Cell and other art school acts, ‘Mixed Up’ traces how Leeds became a hub for hybrid forms of expression and experimentation, with each institution contributing uniquely to the city’s cultural fabric.

A key element of the exhibition is the recreation of an analogue sound studio, originally created for art students to make sound and performance art. This will be open for use by both students and the public. The studio underscores the exhibition's focus on the interplay between visual and sonic arts and offers a hands-on platform for new creations to emerge within the context of the city’s rich artistic legacy.

Drawing on archival materials, artwork, and memorabilia, 'Mixed Up' features contributions from key post-punk, electro, and experimental artists, and highlights art student involvement in the city’s club and politicised music cultures. The exhibition juxtaposes artworks with photographs and recordings, creating a multisensory experience that reflects the dynamic relationship between a visual art education and music worlds.

Accompanying the exhibition is a public programme featuring a panel discussion, a performance, and sound studio sessions, bringing together artists, musicians, and academics to explore the historic and enduring ‘crossed wires’ between an art school education and music culture.

Panel discussion: 12 March 2025 5:30pm-7:00pm

Location: Leeds Arts University, Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ

Join us for a lively panel discussion exploring the intersections of music and art school education, with Gavin Butt, Kevin Lycett, Sarah Statham and Andy Wood. This event delves into the creative and cultural dynamics that shaped Leeds’ music scene, examining the influence of art school teaching, DIY ethos, and cross-disciplinary experimentation. Reflecting on the legacy of post-punk and beyond, the panel offers insights into the enduring connections between art education and music culture. Booking is essential as places are limited. Click here to book your place.

Sound studio open sessions: 24 February 2025 2:00pm–4:30pm and 17 March 2025 2:00pm–4:30pm

Location: Leeds Arts University, Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ

You are warmly invited to join us for an introductory session to test our recreated analogue sound studio—a key feature of the exhibition celebrating the fusion of visual and sonic arts. Originally designed for art students to experiment with sound and performance, the studio now opens its doors to the public, offering a unique, hands-on opportunity to create in response to the themes and concepts explored in the exhibition. Booking is essential as places are limited. Please email curatorial@leeds-art.ac.uk.

Performance: 31 March 2025 5:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Leeds Arts University, Blenheim Walk, Leeds LS2 9AQ

You are invited to join us for a performance event inspired by Frank Tovey’s Berg —a work based on Anne Quin’s surrealist novel of the same name, which incorporated unnerving soundscapes made from musical instrumentation and manipulated found audio. The event is co-created with Leeds Arts University MA Fine Art students, artist Samra Mayanja, David Steans (Senior Lecturer, MA Fine Art, Leeds Arts University) and Marianna Tsionki (Associate Professor & University Curator, Leeds Arts University). Booking not required.