Preview: Middlesbrough Art Week

Middlesbrough Art Week, Closing Party, 2025. Photo credit by Rachel Deakin

Middlesbrough Art Week returns from 24th September–3rd October for its ninth edition, delivering a ten‑day festival of contemporary art, performance and experimental culture across the town. This year’s programme, An Island of Neighbours, digs into what it means to be open, connected and actively involved in the cultural life of our places, inviting audiences to meet artists, make work, share ideas and explore the remarkable creative communities rooted across Teesside. The festival expands into The Auxiliary’s newly redeveloped spaces and launches Little Boro — a temporary creative village built from shipping containers that will act as MAW’s social heart throughout the ten days.

MAW26 brings together an ambitious mix of exhibitions, installations, screenings, talks and public interventions, featuring internationally recognised artists including Jeremy Deller, Larry Achiampong, Sky Hopinka, Morag Myerscough, Andy Holden, Catherine Bertola, Margaret Tait, Saundra Pearl Sharp, Daisy Collingridge, Anne Colvin, Grimm Grimm, Garth Gratrix, Lauren Godfrey, Liberty Hodes, Liz Wilson, Lucy Joyce, Gordon Dalton, Deb Covell, Katie Schwab, Katie Tomlinson, Sarah Cooney, Rachel Clerke, Sandra Lahire, Simon Poulter, Sum Place, Susan Jones, Zilan Kuzu, and many more.

The festival’s commitment to regional talent continues through the North Open Call Exhibition, showcasing new work by Izzie Beirne, Mia Wilkinson, Susan Loughlin, Rachel Deakin, and a wider cohort of emerging artists including Alex Culshaw, Alia Gargum, Bog Heartsease, Charlie Murphy, Chloe Stevenson, Claire Ong, Cody Sowerby, Daniel Carey, Eleanor Jones, Erin Dickson, Errol Theunissen, Eva Ginvalde, Foundation Press, Ka Bird, Kathryn Lunt, Kerry Ann Chappell, Kerry Baldry, Kitty McKay, Leoni Dingwall, Liaqat Rasul, Luke Beech, Matthew Roche, Nel Hume, Phil Gatenby, Sawdust, Sidequest, and Whippet It Up.

As night falls, Middlesbrough Art Week partners with Industrial Coast to deliver a heavyweight electronic programme featuring Headless Horseman, Phase Fatale, Ancient Methods, Broken English Club, and Wes Baggaley, alongside immersive audio‑visual work from Daisy Dickinson, E‑Da Kazuhisa, Akihide Monna, and Koichi Yamanoha.

Alongside the headline programme, audiences can dive into artist film screenings, family activity through Summat for the Bairns, the Artists & Practice Symposium, and a series of exhibitions delivered with partners including Platform A, Cleveland Art Society, MIMA and the Dorman Museum. The ten‑day festival is rounded out by a packed schedule of talks, workshops, performances and community‑led projects unfolding across Middlesbrough.

Liam Slevin Artistic Director said, “An Island of Neighbours is about recognising that culture is something we build together, from the ground up. At a time when division, hostility and the rise of the far right are becoming increasingly visible, creating spaces where people from all backgrounds can come together feels more important than ever. For ten days, artists, residents, visitors and organisations will share ideas, challenge perspectives and celebrate creativity. These collective experiences remind us that our differences are something to explore, not fear, and that the places we share are made stronger when we participate in them together.”

Edel O’Reilly Executive Director adds, “Middlesbrough Art Week arrives at a defining moment for the area. Middlesbrough’s place on the City of Culture longlist, The Turner Prize, and the incredible work happening across the town all point to a place with real cultural confidence. The festival exists to celebrate that momentum while investing in the artists and creative communities that make it possible.”

Daisy Collingridge, Walking With Clive, 2025. Photo Credit by Robin Zahler