Primary, an artist-led contemporary visual arts organization and charity in Nottingham, UK, is hosting a new open exhibition at its Seely Road location in the Lenton and Radford community. The venue, a repurposed school building, houses over fifty artists and includes a community garden, bakery, coffee shop, bookseller, and art studios. The exhibition showcases work from emerging talent, particularly from the global ethnic majority and underrepresented groups, and is part of Primary's broader mission to create art that connects local and global communities.
This matters because Primary is actively addressing social inequality through art, responding to the fact that 51% of children in neighboring Radford live in poverty, as reported by the Department for Work and Pensions in March 2024. By offering free, accessible community spaces and fostering collaborative relationships between artists and residents, Primary demonstrates how visual arts can drive meaningful societal change and break down barriers between contemporary art and the public. The exhibition exemplifies a model for community-engaged art practice in economically challenged areas.