Open Up
An open studio festival in May showcasing over 100 artists and makers in and around Sheffield.
Sharing skills and knowledge, Open Up gives visitors the opportunity to meet creatives and inventive people at the places where they work across the city and beyond.
A social event, popular with groups and families, Open Up is free to enter and makes for a great day out exploring the culture of the city through the medium of arts and crafts.
More than just an exhibition, Open Up is an opportunity for anyone interested in the arts, crafts and creativity to meet local artists in their studios and find out more about how they make their work and what makes them tick.
Organised by the artists and makers themselves this well-established event is now in its 26th year and showcases a wide range of art forms in loads of interesting locations. With many studios gathered in natural clusters across Sheffield and beyond, and with free entry, they’re ideally located for a tour.
The Open Up website lists the studios and what you can expect to see, and a free event guide published by the organisers is available from the participating artists or from the public places also listed on the site.
Open Up Sheffield 2024 event
With 100+ studios taking part, Open Up Sheffield is one of the largest open studio events outside of London and helps showcase some of Sheffield's finest creative talents.
This year it will take place over two weekends, 4 May - 6 May & 11 May - 12 May.
Open Up 2024 Guide
Plan your days of exploration with a comprehensive and extensive guide to all the studios and their locations.
Open Up are partnering with Sheffield's City Centre premier arts venue The Art House, and will be exhibiting work by 29 of this year's artists from Monday 8th April until Monday 13 May.
Discover more
A city of makers
Painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printing and paper working, textiles, photography,
glass, woodworking, jewellery and metalworking – just to name but a few! In a world dominated by digital consumption, the opportunity to interact with real works of art and learn from the creatives behind them becomes ever more valuable.
Watch the artists at work
Here are some short videos to give you a flavour of what to expect from this year's artists and makers.
Hazel Prachek
Hazel Prachek at work in her studio at KIAC.
Sam Sherborne
Sam Sherborne at work in his studio.
Stephen Carley
Stephen Carley at work in his studio.
Roger Nowell
Roger Nowell at work in his studio.
You can watch more artists at work on the Open Up website here.
Sharing skills and knowledge
Seeing and talking about the work on display, visiting an open studio is a great way to get creative inspiration. Sharing skills and knowledge is at the heart of Open Up’s ethos, and there are demonstrations that take place as well as the opportunity to ask experienced artists and makers for advice on how to get involved yourself – whether that’s pointers on the best crafts and supplies or learning about useful techniques and materials.
Studios, tools and machines
Many of the studios are kitted out with the makers tools and either based in old buildings steeped in history, inspirational creative hubs of art or even the artists’ own homes and gardens! It’s all about experiencing art and the making process at its source, engaging with passionate creatives and, most importantly, having plenty of fun while you’re doing it!
Kate Jacob, abstract artist and co-founder of Open Up in 1998
"I love going to open studios. You can visit an artist in their studios, gardens or home, in their own setting; sometimes having a cup of tea and always chatting to people, it’s such a nice way for artists and audience to meet and people are fascinated by how and where artists work."