Compass Festival 2021
Every two years, Compass Festival animates the city of Leeds with interactive live art projects in public spaces like shopping centres, markets, museums and the city streets. Compass Festival 2021 ran from March – July and was enjoyed by over 18,000 people.
Find out more about the projects that made up our slow festival below.
Museums in People's Homes (Photo: Lizzie Coombes) Museums in People's Homes (Photo: Lizzie Coombes) Joshua Sofaer
Museums in People’s Homes
Would you like a visit from Joshua Sofaer and Museums in People’s Homes in your home during 2021?
Joshua Sofaer has created a mobile museum comprising 14 artworks, each representing a collector in Leeds, telling the fascinating stories of the museums people keep in their homes.
Book a tour to see objects from our portable museum – and you can even visit a fun size café and tiny gift shop.
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Photos: Lizzie Coombes, Simon Persighetti - Graphic: Tim Jukes Photos: Lizzie Coombes, Simon Persighetti - Graphic: Tim Jukes Etheridge & Persighetti (Small Acts)
Public House: The Yorkshire Square
Public House: The Yorkshire Square is a 12ft x 12ft pop-up pub bringing a ferment of connections, conversations and experiences, to the heart of Leeds iconic Kirkgate Market from 15 – 24 July.
Explore the enduring role of pubs as places of community, intergenerational exchange, entertainment and activism – or simply pop in for a pint.
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Amy Sharrocks
The Ballad of Crown Point Bridge
The Ballad of Crown Point Bridge is a sonic artwork created with the people and water of Leeds. In the soft underbelly of the bridge, where the city meets wildlife, perhaps we can negotiate a different social contract between the people, the city and the water
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One in, One Out: Leeds' Smallest Gay Bar (Photo: Lizzie Coombes) One in, One Out: Leeds' Smallest Gay Bar (Photo: Lizzie Coombes) Lucy Hayhoe
One in, One out:
Leeds' Smallest Gay Bar
A playful installation for an audience of one. One in, One out: Leeds’ Smallest Gay Bar is an exclusive club featuring all the camp, glitz, glamour and dodgy disco lighting you could wish for – but this time it’s all for you. Created by artist Lucy Hayhoe, One in, One out explores the role of … Continued
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Anxiety Arcade promotional photo by Lizzie Coombes. Anxiety Arcade promotional photo by Lizzie Coombes. Closed Forum
Anxiety Arcade
Anxiety Arcade is a full-sized arcade machine exploring themes of anxiety and isolation. A love letter to 80s pop culture and classic video games, Anxiety Arcade is a digital space that allows you to reset and take a break from everything in your world.
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Photo: Lizzie Coombes Photo: Lizzie Coombes ZU-UK
Pick Me Up (& hold me tight)
Pick Me Up (and hold me tight) is an invitation for collective listening, experienced through all public pay-phones in Leeds.
Created by ZU-UK in response to rising suicide rates across the country, Pick Me Up (and hold me tight) is a gentle but thought-provoking audio experience that explores contemporary loneliness and exposes the edges of our humanness.
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Produced by Sable Radio
Compass Podcast
Join us for a series of four podcasts, hosted by
Pam Johnson and led by the artists we work with, delving into the themes and concerns of
Compass Festival projects.