Yorkshire ArtSpace, Sheffield

Yorkshire ArtSpace is a prominent arts organization in Sheffield, dedicated to providing studio spaces for artists. The organization officially opened in October 2001 in the Persistence Works building, strategically positioned at the end of Furnival Street and prominently facing Brown Street, a main thoroughfare in Sheffield's Cultural Industries Quarter.

The origins of Yorkshire ArtSpace trace back to 1977 when the Yorkshire ArtSpace Society was established by a group of artists in Sheffield, including Michael O'Kane and John Wood, with the goal of creating accessible studio spaces. Initially based at Washington Works on a short-term lease, the Society moved in 1982 to Sydney Works on Matilda Street, a four-story former cutlery factory. Over the next eight years, the building was developed to house 30 studios along with office and gallery spaces. This move marked the Society as the first arts organization in the area, which would later evolve into the Cultural Industries Quarter. By this time, the Society had become the largest art space in the UK outside of London.

Persistence Works, the current home of Yorkshire ArtSpace, was designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and is notable as the UK's first purpose-built studio complex for artists and craftspeople. The facility accommodates 68 practicing artists and craftspeople and includes spaces for exhibitions, projects, education, and offices. The building has been recognized for its architectural significance, winning a RIBA Yorkshire White Rose Award and receiving a Civic Trust Award Commendation. It was also a finalist in the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Awards in 2002, underscoring its impact and importance within the UK's cultural landscape.