Venture Arts

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Venture Arts Venture Arts is an award-winning visual arts organisation
working with learning disabled artists.

Venture Arts is a progressive visual arts charity based in Hulme, Manchester. We work alongside learning disabled artists to create and show exciting new contemporary visual art work, using a range of art mediums, including Illustration, Photography, Moving image, Animation, Textile art, Ceramics and Art as Environment. The organisation’s vision is to see learning disabled people play a valued and valuable role within arts and culture as artists, critics, audiences, advocates and workers. To this effect we deliver over 1000 visual arts workshops per year working with over 200 people and run work schemes which help learning disabled people to work and volunteer in cultural and educational environments. We showcase the work of our artists locally, nationally and internationally. As well as providing for disabled adults Venture Arts also run a number of outreach workshops aimed at engaging children with disabilities.

💥 And just like that…it was time for the headline set 🎧After months spent visiting record shops with Supernature Disco, ...
12/10/2026

💥 And just like that…it was time for the headline set 🎧

After months spent visiting record shops with Supernature Disco, digging through the crates and filling his record box, Horace was finally ready to take to the decks.

Yesterday, he headlined his very own DJ event at Piccadilly Central Manchester, supported by Neil Clarke, Shade, DJ Vimtonic, Darren Sykes and Supernature Disco.

Perfectly timed for Black History Month - a brilliant moment to celebrate Horace as a Black artist taking centre stage.

And what a set. 💥

Have a swipe for a little bit of Sunday’s action - definitely sound on for this one 🔊

▶️ PRINTMAKING: Over the past few months, Venture Arts artists have been working with artists and printmakers from Hot B...
08/10/2026

▶️ PRINTMAKING: Over the past few months, Venture Arts artists have been working with artists and printmakers from Hot Bed Press to create a brilliant new collection of collographs, etchings and screen prints.

Next Friday, we’re opening the studio to celebrate the project. Come and see the prints, meet some of the artists and printmakers involved, and hear more about how the work was made.

These are extremely limited editions, with some collographs and etchings available in editions of just 3 or 5, and screen prints in editions of 25.

Swipe through for a glimpse of the process, and some of the finished prints. 💚

📅 Friday 16 October, 5–6.30pm
📍 Venture Arts, 43 Old Birley Street, Hulme

There’ll also be 10% off prints bought on the evening, with proceeds supporting new printmaking equipment for the Venture Arts studio.

🔗 Book your free place via Eventbrite 👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/venture-arts-print-fundraiser-tickets-2002943118786?aff=oddtdtcreator

▶️▶️ Over the last eight weeks, Venture Arts studio artists Sarah Lee and Becky Hislop have been exploring women’s histo...
06/10/2026

▶️▶️ Over the last eight weeks, Venture Arts studio artists Sarah Lee and Becky Hislop have been exploring women’s history across Greater Manchester as part of our Cultural Enrichment Programme 💜 💚🤍 .

The project has included time with National Trust historian Helen Antrobus, alongside visits to Salford Museum and Art Gallery, The John Rylands Library, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust, Elizabeth Gaskell's House and The Pankhurst.

Along the way, Sarah and Becky have discovered stories, collections and different perspectives on women’s history - gathering ideas and building knowledge.

🌟 Our brilliant Cultural Enrichment Programme creates tailored projects with arts and heritage organisations, giving Venture Arts artists opportunities to explore culture in depth and develop new skills and experiences.

There’s always something cooking at Venture Arts. Subscribe to our newsletter to hear more about our programmes, projects and opportunities 👉https://mailchi.mp/venturearts/venture-arts-newsletter-signup

💚 A Friends Collective update...Since launching Friends Collective, 7 new people have already joined us - and we're so g...
06/10/2026

💚 A Friends Collective update...

Since launching Friends Collective, 7 new people have already joined us - and we're so grateful to every one of you.

That takes us nearly halfway towards our target of 15 new Friends, and another step closer to our first shared goal - creating a dedicated archive for Venture Arts artists' work.

If you're one of our new Friends - thank you, and welcome. It's brilliant to have you with us.

And if you've been thinking about joining, we'd love to welcome you too. You can sign up here 👉 https://venturearts.beaconforms.com/form/ba3f3963

05/10/2026

➡️ Re-Poster: The story continues...

Over the past few weeks, Venture Arts artists have been working with artworks sent over by artists at Special Arts in Seoul - responding directly onto the pieces and adding their own ideas, marks and styles through painting, drawing, collage and printmaking.

The finished collaborative artworks are now ready to travel back to Seoul.

Manchester to Seoul
More soon...👀

30/09/2026

🌍 Studio artist Maddi Lingard is currently taking part in Syncing Space, an international online residency bringing disabled artists together to make, experiment, collaborate and develop their creative practice.

Created by Sync Leadership, the residency gives artists space to explore new ideas, connect with artists from around the world and take part in coaching and leadership sessions alongside their creative work.

As part of the project, we’re sharing this short film introducing Maddi, her work and some of the influences behind her practice.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what develops through her time in Syncing Space. 💚

🔗 Find out more about Syncing space 👉 https://syncingspace.org/artist/maddi-lingard/

💥 Less than two weeks to go...DJ Horace is getting ready to take over the decks at Piccadilly Central Manchester and to...
29/09/2026

💥 Less than two weeks to go...

DJ Horace is getting ready to take over the decks at Piccadilly Central Manchester and today he's running through his set in preparation for the big day 🎧💚.

After months of record shopping, building his vinyl collection and honing his DJ skills - it's nearly time to hear what he's been working on.

Join Horace and friends for an afternoon of all-vinyl music with Neil Clarke, Shade, DJ Vimtonic, Darren Sykes and Supernature Disco.

📅 Sunday 11 October
⏰ 3–6pm
📍 Piccadilly Central, 38 London Road

Enjoy yourselves dancing. No sandwiches. Just music.

🔗 Read more here: https://venturearts.org/events/dj-horace-and-friends/

▶️▶️ We’re absolutely thrilled to share that Venture Arts has been shortlisted for two Manchester Culture Awards 2026 💫....
28/09/2026

▶️▶️ We’re absolutely thrilled to share that Venture Arts has been shortlisted for two Manchester Culture Awards 2026 💫.

⭐ Making it Happen: Best Business Partnership - Venture Arts Sheila Bird Studio
⭐ Independent Creative of the Year - Michael Beard

The Manchester Culture Awards celebrate the brilliant people, projects and organisations that make the city’s cultural scene what it is. And it means so much to see both Michael’s work and our partnership with Sheila Bird Studio recognised - a partnership that helped transform our studio into a more accessible, welcoming space for the whole Venture Arts community.

The awards take place on Saturday 14 November and we’re very excited to be heading along - and to be in such brilliant company with so many people doing amazing things across Manchester’s cultural community 💚.

Manchester City Council | Arts Council England | Manchester Culture |

Image credit: Josh Kemp-Smith/ Sheila Bird Studio (2026)

🌕🏮 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival There’s a little extra colour in our reception today, thanks to these brilliant lanterns ma...
25/09/2026

🌕🏮 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

There’s a little extra colour in our reception today, thanks to these brilliant lanterns made by Venture Arts artists, and very kindly put up by Toni and Amber.

We’re also sharing some beautiful moon-inspired work by Amy Ellison and Maddi Lingard 🌕✨.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is an important harvest celebration in Chinese culture. It’s traditionally a time for families to come together, share food including mooncakes, admire the full moon and light colourful lanterns.

🎨 🧵 Artist Focus: Chelsea DaltonThis month we're celebrating the work of Venture Arts artist Chelsea Dalton.😸 Chelsea cr...
23/09/2026

🎨 🧵 Artist Focus: Chelsea Dalton

This month we're celebrating the work of Venture Arts artist Chelsea Dalton.

😸 Chelsea creates intricate drawings and textile works inspired by animals, nature and her imagination. Often exploring pattern, rhythm and repetition, her work carries a quiet intensity and invites viewers to look closely and notice the beauty in the small details.

▶️ Chelsea’s textile work Post Office was selected for Outside In's National Open exhibition at The New Art Gallery Walsall in 2025, before travelling to Christie's in London earlier this year.

💬 What do you enjoy about Venture Arts?
"Learning something new and going to the art gallery, and playing Uno on a Friday and helping with music for the disco."

💬 Which three words would you use to describe Venture Arts?
"Fantastic, awesome and creative."

💬 What are you doing at Venture Arts at the moment?
"Textiles in the morning, printmaking and mixed media in the afternoon."

🔗 What to hear more about Venture Arts artists? Sign up to the newsletter here 👉 https://mailchi.mp/venturearts/venture-arts-newsletter-signup

Address

43 Old Birley Street
Manchester
M155RF

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 6pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4pm
Friday 9:30am - 4pm
Saturday 9:30am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+441612321223

Website

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