Arts Catalyst is a visual arts organisation and charity based in Sheffield, UK.
Enabling people in South Yorkshire and beyond to engage in creative experiences that increase ecological awareness, encourage positive social action and open up new ways of learning about the world around us.
We activate spaces for people to think differently about the world around them using art to explore social and environmental issues, provoke debate, and test out alternative ways of learning.
We collaborate with artists, activists and people with different kinds of knowledge to organise creative projects that respond to social and environmental issues. Our programme often takes place within community spaces, unusual sites and outdoors.
Arts Catalyst was founded in 1994. Based in London for 26 years, in 2020 the organisation moved to Sheffield. Over the last three decades we have commissioned over 170 creative projects that have at their heart a desire to connect people with ideas about the world around them.
We have commissioned artists including The Otolith Group, Trevor Mathison, Aleksandra Mir, Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, Agnes Meyer Brandis and The Alternative School of Economics, and delivered projects in unusual contexts, sites of ecological interest and cultural institutions across the world. This includes the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (Russia), along the Thames Estuary, the River Calder and within the Arctic, as well as Z33 (Belgium), Otago Museum (New Zealand), Microwave Festival (Hong Kong), and Laboratorio Arte Alameda (Mexico), amongst others.
The first two decades of our work are characterised by innovative artist projects that brought together scientific research with creative practice to produce ambitious and experimental artworks, exhibitions and performances for the public to engage with.
Since 2014, our focus has shifted towards projects that are deeply rooted in places and address the ways in which local environmental challenges and their social impacts are connected to the wider climate crisis. To do this, we collaborate with artists, activists, interest groups and people with different kinds of expertise on long term artistic projects and programmes that support critical thinking, creative exploration and alternative ways of learning about issues at hand.
This approach is reflected in the geographic shift to Sheffield in 2020, where we have begun a series of long-term experiments in building relationships and embedding ourselves within different parts of South Yorkshire through our Emergent Ecologies programme, in partnership with City of Sanctuary and Sheffield Mind.
Emergent Ecologies expands on the work we started in 2019 with Recentring Attention, a programme of workshops and walks conceived as a collective public research process in Sheffield that explored the ways in which extraction, industry and geology have shaped the relationships between humans and non-humans in the region.
Whilst we continue to root ourselves long term in Sheffield, we also nurture new connections between South Yorkshire and other parts of the world through initiatives like Soil Futures — a network and project between Arts Catalyst, Sakiya — Art / Science / Agriculture (Palestine), Riwaq – center for architectural conservation (Palestine); Vessel Art Project (South Italy) and Struggles for Sovereignty (Indonesia).
Soft Ground is a free to access public space for learning, shared by creative charity and not for profit organisations who advocate for social change through arts and community practices.
It was set up by Arts Catalyst on a temporary basis for charities and community groups to host meetings, events and creative activities as well as providing a resource space in the city centre.
Where can I find it?
Soft Ground is located at 37-41 The Moor, Sheffield S1 4PF.
During exhibitions, the space is open to the public Wednesdays – Saturdays, 12-5pm. Please check the What’s On page to find out more about our current programme.
Why have we set it up?
We are testing out ways of creating civic space in Sheffield city centre. Soft Ground explores how a shared site can become a communal resource for artists, cultural producers, communities, groups and members of the public to meet, learn and socialise with each other.
Who is it for and who are we working with?
Soft Ground will host events, workshops and creative activities open to the public. It is programmed by Arts Catalyst and partners including Chol Theatre & Arts, Migration Matters Festival, and Sheffield Community Bike Project. It also offers meeting and workshop space for local groups and communities.
Access
Soft Ground is a space which we are occupying on a temporary basis. It is on the first floor of a building on The Moor in Sheffield city centre. It has lift access and a disabled all gender toilet. It has windows that open to the outside. For groups using the space there is a small kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities.
How to get to Soft Ground
As an environmentally conscious organisation we encourage you to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to Soft Ground, although we understand for some people this is not possible. Sheffield Railway station is a 12 minute walk away. Most bus and tram transport links in Sheffield pass through the city centre. The nearest tram stop is on West Street.
Parking near Soft Ground – The nearest car park is Eyre Street (The Moor) Car Park – APCOA. Atkinson’s Multistorey car park is also nearby, along with Matilda Street Car Park (Euro Car park) and NCP Car Park on Furnival Gate. You will find on street car parking – particularly before 10am and after 4.30pm weekdays – on the streets surrounding Arundel Street.
How to get involved
Soft Ground is available to hire for charities and community groups to host meetings, events and creative activities on an occasional basis. We will advertise any open calls for specific periods Soft Ground is available to hire through our Opportunities page.
The interior of Soft Ground has been designed and built by Sheffield-based architecture practice Studio Polpo.
We are proud to be working with Sheffield Mind and City of Sanctuary Sheffield on our current Emergent Ecologies programme.
Sheffield Mind is an independent charity whose mission is to improve wellbeing and provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
City of Sanctuary Sheffield is an independent charity working in solidarity with people seeking sanctuary in Sheffield.