East Leeds Pavilion

Aim

We want to build a Pavilion as the very first Maker Space in east Leeds, where people can access affordable tools, equipment and training.

Help us build a Pavilion for the Makers of east Leeds

We would like to build a temporary Pavilion at Fearnville Fields, in partnership with Bauman Lyons Architects, to act as the very first dedicated Maker Space in east Leeds!

Incredibly, across all of east Leeds beyond the city centre there are hardly any creative workspaces and no Maker Spaces like the one we envisage. But we know from our research project 'East Leeds Makers' that there are creative people all across this area, people who work with textiles, wood, ceramics and glass; who draw and paint or make prints – artists, craftspeople and designers of all kinds who consider themselves everything from hobbyists to professionals. There are so many people here, from different backgrounds and with different levels of experience, who are passionate about Making, but nowhere for them to come together. Most either work from home in their kitchen or converted garage, or have to travel into the city centre to find suitable workspaces. 

The Pavilion will provide a shared space where Makers based in east Leeds can come together to share their skills and learn new ones, meet other Makers, and access affordable tools, equipment and training. The Pavilion will be open to everyone interested in Making, including people who've never made before but would like to try their hand.

We've already started a conversation with the communities of east Leeds and have surveyed over 100 people so far. We've found overwhelming support for the idea of a Maker Space in east Leeds!

The proposed site of the East Leeds Pavilion, on Fearnville Fields, Gipton.

We will work collaboratively with local people, artists and architects to create the Pavilion, using the MassBespoke system developed in Leeds by Bauman Lyons. This pioneering technology combines digital design with the ability to respond to genuine local need on a small scale, and has been designed to achieve high standards of environmental performance, optimise use of materials, eliminate waste, and remove the need for heavy transport and lifting equipment at all stages of construction. It's pioneering genuinely sustainable design, right here in Leeds. 

We've identified a site next door to Fearnville Leisure Centre in Gipton and we're working closely with Leeds City Council to make the Pavilion a reality and to make sure that it's energy efficient and environmentally friendly. It will be a temporary structure, a pilot project while we explore more permanent sites, and the green space can be returned to its original state afterwards without any damage to the landscape.

Although our Directors each have 20 years' experience in the arts sector, the East Leeds Project is still a young organisation with very limited resources. That's why we need your help to do three things:

1. Plan the East Leeds Pavilion – your support will allow us to work with local communities and creative people to produce a detailed design and business plan for the Pavilion. We'll fundraise for its construction separately.

2. Put on Maker events – so that we can start building creative networks among Makers in east Leeds.

3. Create an artwork about Making for Gipton Gala – the Gala is a great opportunity to talk to local people and build support for the project. We've commissioned artist Andy Abbott to create a participatory project which will launch in July, but your support will help us take it on tour across east Leeds over the coming year to continue that conversation.

Thanks for reading. If you can, please donate today. Everything we raise through Crowdfunder can be matched by Legal & General, meaning your support will go even further. Thank you!

To find out more about the East Leeds Project visit www.eastleedsproject.org

If you can't donate, but would like to get involved or have anything you would like to discuss, please email [email protected]

This project successfully funded on 10th June 2019