Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces
Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces are unique pop-up project spaces and artist studios situated on highstreets in towns across Greater Manchester and the North West. Since the scheme began in 2009, we have established New Art Spaces at multiple locations including Manchester City Centre, Bolton, Wigan, Chester and Warrington.
New Art Spaces provide affordable studio spaces for artists. The studios are set up in prominent but unused buildings, usually in the town centre. This allows connection between artists and their local communities, breathing new life and creativity into the highstreet. Each New Art Spaces location also holds a public-facing exhibition space that is available for artists to use at any time; the artists in residence have used these spaces to produce successful cross-disciplinary projects and group exhibitions.
New Art Spaces encourages engagement and collaboration between local arts and cultural organisations, being invited into the exhibition space but also allowing artists to branch out and work with local organisations and communities.
Depending on the site, the space is often more vast than an average shared studio, and these open areas allow artists the freedom to develop their creative practice and make large-scale artworks without the usual confines and limitations they may face. The possibilities of how the space can be utilised are valuable to all types of creative activity. 24-7 access to the studio is granted for all artists in residence, and one of our priorities is keeping the cost to the artist to a minimum.
NEW ART SPACES OLDHAM
We are taking expressions of interest from artists and creative freelancers looking for studio and project space in Greater Manchester.
The opening coincides with Oldham being named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2026–27, launching a year-long program titled “Rising Up” that features festivals, exhibitions, and community events.
New Art Spaces: Oldham is close to the town centre, just a 10 minute walk from Oldham Mumps Tram Stop, and close to the gallery, library, and many local amenities. The site is spacious, warm, bright, secure, has good facilities, outdoor space and dedicated free parking.
New Art Spaces are low-cost, community-focused artist studios and project spaces for Castlefield Gallery Associates. Up to 17 Studio spaces available from £80 to £150 per month, dependent on size.
Facilities include
- Private rooms or open-plan, shareable studio spaces
- Large-scale project and ground floor exhibition spaces
- Communal spaces on each floor with shared kitchen spaces throughout
- Accessible toilets
- Extensive free car parking and bicycle storage
- Wi-Fi in communal spaces
Access
The building has access from the ground level, accessible amenities, and ground-floor studio spaces. The accessible toilets are spacious, featuring grab rails, but the doors are not automatic and do not feature a RADAR key, and there are no lift facilities. If you have any access concerns then please email kacey@castlefieldgallery.co.uk.
The building supports a wide range of creative practices, with flexible spaces suitable for making, exhibiting, workshops, collaboration, and large-scale projects. The site offers opportunities for open plan and shared space working as well as ‘closed-door’. We’re particularly interested in creating a space that connects artists and those who want to work as part of a community.
If you’d like to register your interest or hear more about New Art Spaces: Oldham, please email kacey@castlefieldgallery.co.uk.
IMAGES
Banner:
- The Art of Protest – The Story of Hongkongers at Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces: Warrington. Photographed by Long Tse.
From top to bottom:
- “I used to be” by Julia Griffin, produced by Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival, supported by Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces Warrington. Photographed by Molly Mansley.
- Pictures of Castlefield Gallery New Art Spaces Oldham
