Leicester Contemporary opens in former betting shop as artist-led gallery with 12-month lease

Leicester Contemporary launched on 18 June 2024 at 18 Market Street in Leicester, occupying a former betting shop on a declining high street. The gallery is operated by The Company of Artists (TCOA), a collective that recently registered as a not-for-profit community interest company. Entirely self-funded initially, the space opened with an exhibition titled TCOA featuring works by collective members including Lucy Stevens, Matt Macken, Tim Fowler, Loz Atkinson, Andrew Birks, Steven Allbutt, and Tom Van Herrewege. Works span diverse media from sculpture and large-scale paintings to installations and collage. Van Herrewege's pieces preview his solo show Anthropocene opening 20 August. Co-founder Andrew Birks explained the gallery aims to make contemporary art accessible to the public in a city lacking such venues, contrasting with London's abundance. With a twelve-month lease, TCOA plans to sustain operations through studio rentals, grant applications to Leicester City Council and Arts Council England, and sales commissions. Birks noted the local market may not support high-value sales but hopes to build the gallery's reputation by showing national artists creating impactful work. Future programming through Christmas will feature both local and national artists. The gallery operates 11am–6pm during exhibitions.