INTERVIEW: Middlesbrough Art Week

Image by Azraa Motala

Returning for its eighth year, the continually impressive Middlesbrough Art Week has gained a reputation for their bold and inclusive programming, bringing (and creating) interesting art and culture to region.

Running from Thursday 25th September – Saturday 4th October, MAW pushes its creative boundaries even further with a bold programme that includes exhibitions, installations, performances, workshops and public interventions, as programme director Liam Slevin explains: “This year we’re working with a much larger group of programme collaborators, which is very exciting as they all bring such different flavours to the way they programme and curate. It’s definitely made this year’s festival the broadest yet in terms of ideas, concepts and the scope of artists involved.”

Supporting the breadth of artistry, and providing a solid infrastructure to the programme, one of the brand new MAW initiatives for 2025 includes the brand new Auxiliary Project Space, a 13,000 sq ft creative complex in a repurposed industrial warehouse which includes features from Erin Dickson, Richie Culver and Sophie Beresford. As Slevin admits, the space not only supports the history of the MAW but also pushes it forward into a new and exciting future. “The Auxiliary is very much the mothership and all the ideas stream out from it. The new gallery space is beautiful and a step away from our DIY roots – well, at least with the material fabric of the building.”

Opening alongside the Auxiliary, MAW will also bring together over 70 artists, curators and collaborators with the intention of inspiring participants to imagine new futures through art, care and creative resistance. As Slevin admits, part of the care and attention built into the curation of MAW comes from the desire to ensure that all participants are able to find something which feels both accessible and inspiring: “Aspirationally, my hopes for Middlesbrough Art Week are that it continues to be a catalyst for connection, because we all need a bit more of that in our lives. MAW can be an event that not only showcases outstanding contemporary work but also invites people to see their own place in the cultural conversation. I’d like it to be a week where local communities feel ownership of the art being shown, where emerging artists can stand alongside established names, and where there’s space for honest reactions.”

Alongside a range of artistic vehicles, from pop-up exhibitions in ex-retail units and public spaces, to workshops, talks, live performances and screenings, MAW will also continue to inspire the region through its commitment to artist development thanks to the return of the North East Open Call and New Graduate Award, as well as focusing on opportunities for human connection. “The Auxiliary will be the festival hub, with screenings including We Are Making A Film About Mark Fisher and Censoring Palestine, gigs including Demdike Stare and Regis, plus workshops and fourexhibitions. It’ll be really buzzy.”

Motivated to make 2025 the most successful MAW yet, Slevin makes no apologies for thinking even bigger in the future as the programme nears its 10th birthday. “In the next three years, the expanded infrastructure such at The Auxiliary’s new building, the global attention from MIMA hosting the Turner Prize in 2026, and deeper accessibility initiatives will all boost its visibility and I think that’s the last piece of the puzzle.”