Trapezium Arts, a community arts group in Bradford, UK, has issued a 'mayday' call for help to find a new home after being told it must vacate its current space in the Kirkgate Shopping Centre by June 18. The centre is slated for demolition to make way for a 1,000-home City Village development. The group, founded eight years ago by a collective of local artists, has been operating out of empty retail units and will open its final exhibition at 54 Kirkgate on Saturday, titled 'May Day!', running from May 2 to 30.
The closure threatens a vital, accessible space for Bradford artists and the community, which has grown from sparse attendance to opening-day crowds of 200–400 people. Co-founder Pauline Cooke and artist Lauren Kelly emphasize the lack of alternative affordable venues in the city centre, making the search for a new cheap rental space critical. The story highlights the fragility of grassroots arts organizations when faced with urban redevelopment, and the importance of community support to sustain local cultural infrastructure.