News

A trio of up-and-coming Leeds artists have been given a huge boost thanks an innovative scheme aimed at shaping the city’s emerging talent.

Sculptors Elrick Boldy, Ewan Summerton and Iona Ogilvy-Stuart were this week announced as recipients of the 2026 Accelerator Bursary, a joint initiative funded by Leeds Art Fund and delivered by Leeds Art Gallery and Assembly House Leeds.

Intrepid young adventurers can go on an epic journey from the far reaches of space to the depths of the ocean floor as they explore the magic of storytelling.

Story Explorers, a new free exhibition at Leeds Central Library, includes eye-catching features such as a giant cuddly octopus and a spectacular model of the moon as part of an immersive, family friendly event running from February 19 until May 30, 2026.

One of the most important documents in the history of Leeds was rescued from being turned into a makeshift lampshade, the city’s archivists have revealed.

The one-of-a-kind copy of the Leeds Royal Charter, written centuries ago, was about to be repurposed as an unusual decorative feature by the unwitting owner of a Canterbury book shop in the 1950s.

Fortunately, a chance consultation with a friendly expert disclosed that the delicately inscribed text was the sole remaining copy of the Royal Charter first granted to Leeds by King Charles I in 1626.

The much-loved Leeds Tapestry celebrating the city’s history has received an inspiring new panel, completely designed and stitched by residents to explore ideas of freedom.

An incredible collection of handmade models crafted in secret by a local enthusiast has revealed one man’s fascinating lifelong love for the buses of Yorkshire.

The new display at Leeds City Museum gives visitors a chance to see a selection of the vast array of replicas created by physicist Dr Gordon Brooke, which were found in a box room by his astonished family following his death at the age of 82.

Ancient artefacts unearthed and collected during the construction of a huge Leeds transport project have been preserved at a Leeds museum.

Spanning more than six thousand years of the city’s history, the remarkable archive includes a beautifully preserved prehistoric arrowhead, a Bronze Age axe, medieval pottery and a 300-year-old pair of nutcrackers.

The beginning of a new year is always a chance for us to reflect on the past whilst also looking ahead with excitement and anticipation to what the future may hold.

Over the coming year, that sentiment will carry more significance for Leeds than ever as the city prepares to mark a very special, and completely unique historical milestone.

Plans for a tribute to a pioneering 19^th century British locomotive driver who was laid to rest in Leeds are gathering steam following a chance discovery at a local museum.

During recent renovation work at Leeds Industrial Museum in Armley, curators happened upon the beautifully carved gravestone of Robert Morrow, more than 160 years after his death in nearby New Wortley.

An audacious bid to rescue King Charles I from imprisonment in Leeds is among the timeless tales discovered amid the pages of the city’s earliest written history.

The remarkable plot, told for what is believed to be the very first time within the centuries-old text, saw the notorious monarch offered a chance of escape from Red Hall in the city centre in 1647 by donning women’s clothes, which he politely declined.

Damage caused by a devastating Second World War air raid more than 80 years ago has been uncovered during the major redevelopment of historic Leeds Town Hall.

The true impact of the 1941 blast had been hidden behind repair work carried out in the aftermath of the bombings, before being exposed during recent work on the iconic building’s eastern wing.

Art-lovers in Leeds have the incredible opportunity to hang a work by one of the 20th century’s most influential artists over their mantelpiece this Christmas.

Henri Matisse’s eye-catching The Dancer (1949) is among the beautiful pieces available to loan as part of Leeds Art Gallery’s unique Picture Library lending scheme, the selection weekend for which runs this week until Sunday, November 30.

Stunning images of nature captured by renowned contemporary artists will shed new light on our relationship with the wonderful world of plants.

Plant Dreaming opens at Leeds Art Gallery today (Nov 14, 2025) and explores a number of imaginative, alternative perspectives on plants, fungi, and our interconnected planet.