The People’s Gallery

The People's Gallery

Shaped by the people who live and create here.

Artists laughing in gallery space, representing mentoring and peer support at APS
Photography By Paul Abraham

The People’s Gallery is a new, free exhibition space in Bramley and Stanningley, developed by Aire Place Studios to sit alongside our main gallery. It’s part of our mission to make the arts more accessible, inclusive, and shaped by the people who live and create in our communities.

Thanks to support from the People’s Postcode Lottery, we’re launching a year-long programme of exhibitions and events. Some will grow from community workshops; others may begin as exhibitions and inspire creative activities that bring people together. We’re keeping the space open and flexible and we’re inviting local groups, collectives, and individuals with creative ideas to help shape what it becomes.

Exhibitions

Friends of Photography

20 February – 27 March 2026

Friends of Photography brings together a welcoming group of photographers who meet monthly at The Mill Gallery. United by a shared love of image-making rather than any single style or piece of equipment, the exhibition features a lively mix of photographs, from everyday moments to carefully composed scenes.

From first-time exhibitors to experienced hobbyists, the work celebrates curiosity, experimentation, and personal perspective. This exhibition is a snapshot of a supportive, creative community and an invitation to look a little closer.

 

Fables

9 January – 30 January 2026

Fables is the first public exhibition from Resilient Roots, a programme supporting people taking their first steps into showing their work. Over several months, eight emerging artists have been guided through mentoring, workshops, and group critique, exploring how to select, curate, and present their work.

This exhibition celebrates creativity, curiosity, and the joy of making. Each artist brings their own voice, perspective, and story, coming together to form a collective narrative that is as diverse as it is inspiring.

 

Folded Realities

14 November – 12 December 2025

Folded Realities unfolds a vibrant world where stories take shape through ink, paper, and imagination. Presented by Aire Place Studios with Zineophelia, the exhibition brings together artists working across zines, comics, illustration, and print to explore how images can bend and reshape our sense of reality.

Zines are an impermanent, communicative medium—made to be shared, passed on, and remade. Folded Realities captures a snapshot of this living culture, presenting zines as both objects and conversations, frozen in time yet alive with collective voices.

From hand-drawn narratives to bold graphic storytelling, the works blur humour, politics, abstraction, and emotion. Alongside the exhibition, Zineophelia will host zine-making workshops and creative events, inviting visitors to cut, fold, and create their own stories while celebrating DIY publishing and the evolving culture of visual storytelling.

 

One Moment In Time

12 September – 26 September 2025

In One Moment In Time, Bramley-based photographer Paul Abraham turns his lens toward the quiet, everyday moments that often go unnoticed yet speak volumes.

From fleeting expressions and still corners of the city to unguarded gestures and subtle light shifts, Paul’s work captures the poetry in the ordinary. His images are both observational and emotional, offering a sense of calm, honesty, and deep attention to the world around him.

Grounded in real places and real people, this collection invites us to slow down and see the familiar differently to find beauty, humour, and meaning in the unremarkable moments that make up our lives.

 

A person viewing artwork in the APS gallery, seen from behind wearing a jacket with text reading “bad queer”, hosted by this Creative organisation Leeds

Protest & Pride – Art as Resistance

15 August – 5 September 2025

Protest & Pride – Art as Resistance, an exhibition that celebrates queer creativity, resilience, and the power of art to challenge, uplift, and unite.

This exhibition brings together work by LGBTQIA+ artists who use art as a tool for protest — from acts of personal defiance to collective movements for justice. Here you’ll find responses to LGBTQIA+ rights, climate justice, disability activism, anti-racism, and more. Alongside expressions of righteous anger, there is also radical joy — because celebration is protest too.

 

Workshops

Friends of Photography

Love photography? Join our friendly monthly meet-up to share, learn, and celebrate your shots—no matter your skill level! Monthly Meet Up
Book Here

Exploring Gender and the Body Poetry Workshop

Jan 12th (6pm to 8pm) A playful poetry workshop exploring gender and the body, open to all, ending with a zine showcase of your work.
Book Here

A brief History of Zine: Printing, Self Expression, and rebellion

Female UK artist attending exhibition with professional funding and access guidance
08 Dec 2025 (6pm - 8pm) Explore the rich history of zines, from print rebellion to self-expression in this engaging talk by zine expert Nick Shearon!
Book Here

LGBTIQ+ Artist Drop-In Space

A person viewing artwork in the APS gallery, seen from behind wearing a jacket with text reading “bad queer”, hosted by this Creative organisation Leeds
Wednesday 27th August (10am - 4pm) Looking for creative connection? This welcoming drop-in is a space for queer artists to share, support and make together. Bring your ideas, projects, questions – or just come as you are. Our team is here with materials, space and informal support. No pressure. No gatekeeping. Just queer creativity and community.
Book Here

Banner Making – The Art of Protest

Attendees enjoying an APS exhibition opening in an inclusive gallery space, a creative organisation Leeds
Thursday 28th August (10am - 12pm) Join us to explore the bold history of protest banners and create your own eye-catching sign for trans rights and LGBTIQ+ solidarity. Learn practical design tips, share your voice, and be part of a powerful visual movement – whether at a rally, in your window, or in our gallery. Make something bold. Make something radical. Be seen.
Book Here

Collage as an Act of Revolution

Artists looking at exhibition piece, supported through UK artist funding and professional mentoring programs
Thursday 28th August (6:30pm - 8pm) Collage is more than art – it’s disruption, resistance, and reinvention. In this hands-on workshop, inspired by our Art of Protest exhibition, you’ll cut, layer and reimagine using everyday materials to explore solidarity, activism and personal expression.  No experience needed – just curiosity and the courage to create. Create. Resist. Reimagine.
Book Here

All exhibitions are proudly hosted at The Mill Gallery.

This work wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support of our funders and supporters: