A decade of creative collaboration
East Street Arts
East Street Arts is a charity that has been supporting artists and the wider community in Leeds and beyond since 1993. Their mission to address the issue of economic and commercial decline in our towns and cities is shared by Group Ginger, and the practice has worked on a number of projects with the arts organisation.
Convention House, 2020
A former nunnery turned not-so-blank canvas, Convention House is an arts and tech hub that holds two exhibition spaces, dedicated learning areas and several artist studios. Artists, technologists and social entrepreneurs collaborate with audiences, participants and neighbours to create innovative work.
The building was originally constructed as a convent for the sisters Charity of St Paul. Group Ginger’s design repurposes the nun’s cells on the upper floor as artists' residences. Elsewhere, the design rationalises internal spaces to be accessible and flexible enough to be suitable for multiple different uses and users.
Convention House is as much a work in progress as the projects and peers it houses and encourages placemaking and participation from those that partake – creating a circular economy for the next generation of resident artists.
Continuing the circular economy theme, Convention House is dressed in repurposed furniture, fixtures and fittings. Wherever possible, sustainable ways of working are prioritised to reduce the impact of materials and processes that negatively contribute to the global climate crisis.
Mary & Patrick’s Square, 2019
This proposal creates a yet-to-be-realised new public green space on St Mary’s Street. This outdoor social space unites the three buildings in East Street Arts’ Mabgate complex and creates a opportunity to display public art and host a programme of outdoor activities, creating more street presence and engaging passers by.
Art Hostel, 2018-2021
The Art Hostel is a unique hospitality experience and the first of its kind in the UK, providing affordable & original accommodation created by artists. With each room offering an insight into a different artists mind it acts as a brilliant portal directly into the underbelly of Leeds’ creative scene.
Group Ginger have worked with East Street Arts over a number of years to refine the concept for their Art Hostel social enterprise, undertaking feasibility studies for various potential sites across Leeds.
