Beam

12/09/2025

Early career artist opp 👇 deadline today at noon

Last chance to apply for this paid training opportunity. Deadline 12 noon on Friday.

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Paid training opportunity for an early-career freelance artist.

The Project
Wakefield-based artist Tony Wade is delivering an arts project in Airedale and Ferry Fryston (Castleford) called CANOPY. The project is a programme of community workshops exploring the trees and green spaces in and around the estates.
The workshops are for a range of groups, including people with mental health conditions, elderly people, young children and the public. CANOPY will culminate in the creation of 2D public art pieces that will map the local green spaces.

The opportunity
This opportunity is suitable for an early-career freelance artist wanting to develop their experience in community and participatory art.

The appointed person will work with Tony for a minimum of 5 days, both at his studio in the Art House, Wakefield and in community settings in Airedale and Ferry Fryston.

For full details see:
https://tonywadeart.com/2025/09/01/canopy-paid-training-opportunity/?fbclid=IwdGRleAMumUZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqQyc-4cBuHf3MS25c6zZOjCZ2T0djI1AV1_jVdSLJTrCOXfwmfEYv3-og4l_aem_EUnS9r9bn4K9gQqfbFAS7Q

27/08/2025

🎨 Tapton Lock Festival is only a couple of weeks away, there will be lots of fantastic activities and you’ll be able to find out more about ‘A Sense of Chesterfield’ – a new heritage arts trail for Chesterfield town centre, with funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The team will be running an activity where you can use textures from found and made objects representing Chesterfield’s rich heritage to create unique postcard prints.

And you’ll be able to share stories, ideas and your favourite things about Chesterfield to form part of a community collage.

Make sure you head along to Tapton Lock Festival on Saturday 6 or Sunday 7 September and speak to the team.

27/08/2025

• • • • • •
And what a story it is….
A selection of still shots of the completed mural in Castleford and the final words of the poem used on the mural.

The work is inspired by the history of the area, and the fascinating insights stemming from visits to the towns museum, the flour mill and the fantastic people met while researching the town.

Castleford was a former Roman stronghold named Lagentium, before this The Brigantes tribe lived in the area, led by Queen Cartmandua.
One of the earliest ever manuscripts The Boke of Bute hand written in the 14th century by Thomas of Castleford refers to some of the history. 462 pages of rhyming couplets using a Middle English version of the Yorkshire Dialect - a Northern Tongue Prose. The book / referred to as The Castleford Chronicles introduces England as Albion or Albina as it was originally named.

Early agricultural practice, created furrowed fields where rows of terraces houses now stand, the flour mill on the River Calder, mining, and the glassworks all form the towns heritage and the pride of the many working hands that contributed to its industries.

As the birthplace of Henry Moore, the observation by Stuart who I met through the research, that the figurative forms of Moores work could be found in the pit stacks of Fryston and Glasshoughton. 🤯 that gave me goosebumps and blew my mind all at the same time…. and formed the line ‘reclining figures in pit stacks found’

I wanted the imagery and the poem to tell the story of the area and to respond to the stunning mural completed close by, by that features Jay’s portrayal of Queen Cartmandua looking over the town.

So much more to say about the bridge itself - first opening in 1890 its name - Tickle C**k Bridge- a lovers tunnel - where courting couples used to secretly meet !!

Thank you to all at Wakefield Council Network Rail and for trusting my vision and supporting me to overcome all of the challenges we faced to get this mural painted
!!


And / If you made it to the end of this - Thanks for reading ❤️✍🏻

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26/08/2025

Deadline for applications: Midnight – Monday 22 September 2025. Projection Mapping Commission in 👇

Call Out – Projection Mapping Commission

For , we are seeking to commission a UK based artist / creative company to deliver a fun, family friendly projection mapped onto Chesterfields’ Grade II listed Market Hall to create a stunning display that connects the past with the present. 

All Inclusive Fee: £18,000 + VAT if applicable

Dates: September 2025 – March 2026

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: Midnight – Monday 22 September 2025

Visit our bio for the link to the full brief 

19/08/2025

We're so pleased to share the design journey behind Coralie Turpin's latest sculpture for , Chesterfield developed with local young people and the community.

19/08/2025

• • • • • •
🎨 A new sculpture is being created for Staveley town centre - the mosaic artwork created by with support from the community draws on Staveley's heritage and reflects the natural environment of the canal.

After much research and workshops in schools Coralie created a design inspired by the sail of a Cuckoo Boat, which were common on the canal in the early 19th century and something unique to Staveley - Coralie felt that they showcased the great ingenuity and courage of the people of the area.

The sections of the sail represent cell structures, leaf veins and natural forms. Coralie will use hand cut mosaic techniques to feature local wildlife and flora and fauna that you can find around the Canal alongside mini mosaic artworks created by pupils from Staveley Junior School and Netherthorpe School which will be installed onto the sculpture to complement Coralie’s own work.

We've put some posters on display in the Healthy Living Centre and in the town centre which provide more details about the sculpture, the inspiration and the process to create it.

The sculpture is funded through the Animate programme which is creating new artworks and activities through the course of regeneration projects in Staveley and Chesterfield. You can find more details on our website. Link in bio.

19/08/2025

Congratulations Peachzz on the completion of Ashfall and Bloom - a fantastic mural developed with input from the South Elmsall Community 👏👏

13/08/2025

Really excited to have the opportunity to work with Peachzz again for this exciting new mural commission in Chesterfield as part of the Animate programme.

If you're around in the town centre tomorrow (Thurs 14th, 10am-2pm) please come along and see us and share your ideas for the mural, we'll be outside the library 😀

More info at https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/latest-news/renowned-street-artist-set-to-create-a-new-artwork-in-chesterfield/

🎨 We're excited to announce that the amazing street artist Peachzz will be creating a new mural in Chesterfield town centre - and you can help provide local inspiration.

She will be hosting a drop-in engagement session outside Chesterfield Library tomorrow (Thursday 14 August) from 10am until 2pm. You'll be able to share your ideas for what the mural could depict.

You can find out more about this project and the Animate programme by visiting the link in the comments!

12/08/2025

👇👇 Extended deadline for this exciting new initiative in Wigan and Leigh - call out for community groups now open until 25th August, 9am!

11/08/2025

Fantastic to work with such an inspiring cohort of artists and partners on this programme, we can't wait to see what the UNBOUND creatives do next!
Link to report https://creativewakefield.net/news/evaluation-report-unbound-dynamic-artists-for-public-spaces-development-programme/

UNBOUND: Empowering Artists in Public Spaces 🎨

UNBOUND was a bold new artist development programme designed to break down barriers and unlock opportunities for creatives working in public spaces across Wakefield and West Yorkshire.

Commissioned and funded by Wakefield Council, Cultural Development Fund, and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and delivered in partnership with Beam and YVAN, the programme supported 12 dynamic artists over 6 months with workshops, networking, and real-time mentorship.

🌟 Now, we’re proud to share the UNBOUND Summary Evaluation Report—a deep dive into the programme’s design, delivery, and impact, with key insights for commissioners, project managers, mentors, and artists.

📘 Explore the Report 🔍 Meet the Artists: Alice Kin, Cat Scott, Joanne Tiffany, Rebecca Feneley, Ruth Agbolade, Sam Metz 🛠️ Discover the Quick Guides: From budgeting to legacy planning, these resources are packed with practical advice for public art projects.

📎 [Insert link to report and resources]

04/08/2025