Leeds charity and visual arts organisation The Tetley rebrands as Yorkshire Contemporary

Friday 24 May 2024

Today, the Leeds based arts charity previously known as The Tetley announces its new name: Yorkshire Contemporary.

From 2013–2023, The Tetley was a contemporary art gallery based in Leeds’ South Bank. Prior to this, the charity was known as Project Space Leeds (2006–2012), an artist-led gallery with a space on the River Aire. 

Following the end of their lease of the former Tetley’s headquarters, the organisation is now forging a new identity as Yorkshire Contemporary.

Broadening their remit from an organisation rooted in a single location, the name Yorkshire Contemporary reflects the different locations the team will continue to work in across the region and beyond to make contemporary art happen.

As the search for a new, permanent home continues, the name also matches the ambition for the scale of the gallery the team plan to open upon securing a space.

Bryony Bond, Director, Yorkshire Contemporary, said:

‘We’re excited to begin our new chapter as Yorkshire Contemporary. We had so much positive feedback about the name and visual identity from the many people we spoke to as part of this process – it really conveys the hope, positivity and ambition we’re bringing into the year ahead as we continue programming in partnership and searching for a new home.

It’s a hard time for the creative and cultural sector, with so many facing similar challenges. We fulfil a vital role here and it’s more important than ever for us to keep driving forward with our mission and making contemporary art happen.’

New name, new brand, same mission.

At The Tetley, the organisation welcomed over a million visitors, presented Yorkshire’s only Turner Prize winning exhibition, supported artists in developing their careers and reached thousands of children and families.

In their new guise, they’re continuing that work, in various ways and places. 

Here’s what to expect from Yorkshire Contemporary: 

What Yorkshire Contemporary does

• Creates exciting opportunities for people to see visual art for free
• Supports children and adults to be creative
• Provides a platform for early career artists and nurtures their practices

 

How Yorkshire Contemporary works

• Presents ambitious, free exhibitions across Leeds, Yorkshire and beyond
• Commissions public art – both permanent and temporary
• Collaborates with communities and artists to provide new art and play opportunities for children
• Works internationally to foster links between artists and audiences across the globe

 

A new visual identity marks this next chapter.

Artists, partners and the public were invited to feed into the naming and branding process. 

Designed by long-time collaborators Saul Studio (who were previously based at The Tetley) this new brand builds on the bright colour palette that was well-loved in The Tetley branding. There’s also a subtle nod to the original Project Space Leeds logo, which also used the organisation’s initials, PSL, on an angle – as the logo does here.

The logo is reminiscent of a tick, a sculpture, a folded piece of colourful paper, an upwards trajectory. This bright, colourful design system brings to life an array of projects, public art, exhibitions, commissions and workshops.

Joey Barritt, Managing Director, Saul Studio said: 

‘We’re grateful to have worked with the Yorkshire Contemporary team for the last eight years, showcasing inspiring exhibitions, community events and working with so many creative people. During the brand development, we referred to this direction as ‘upwards/forwards’, as we started to look beyond their much loved home at The Tetley. We’re excited for this new chapter of the organisation.’

ENDS

For further information and images, please contact Hannah Keating, Marketing and Communications Manager hannah.keating@yorkshirecontemporary.org.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Yorkshire Contemporary, known as The Tetley for the last ten years, is a visual arts organisation based in Leeds. Yorkshire Contemporary is a charity and our mission is to make contemporary art happen. We create exciting opportunities for people to see art for free, support adults and children to be creative and provide a platform for early career artists, nurturing their practices. 

Yorkshire Contemporary is funded by Arts Council England and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund & Leeds City Council