While the Government’s recent (17.07) £60 million investment aims to turbocharge growth across the creative industries nationwide, Leicester is already making its mark as a cultural hub – as was evidenced on Friday, last week with film crews, radio shows and national newspapers clamouring to tell the story of Made in the Middle – the biggest arts and craft exhibition of 2025.
The city is the launch city of this major arts exhibition, featuring the work of six talented local artists, alongside 31 Midlands-based makers, as part of the ninth Made in the Middle exhibition by Craft Space.
This exhibition is a testament to Leicester’s growing influence in the art world, bringing national attention to the city’s thriving creative scene as it sets the stage for future investments and opportunities.
The artists represent the region’s vibrant and diverse creative community and include both emerging talents and established names.
31 exceptional artists, ranging from 22 to 82 years old, were selected by a panel of curators and craft sector specialists. A further six artists have been invited by Guest Curator, Jazz Swali, with Curatorial Support from Marta Marsicka to emphasise the enriching cultural impact of global migration to the region. Their work highlights powerful stories about the world we live in.
Across the exhibition, you can expect to see a wide variety of techniques and disciplines on display including textiles, ceramics, mixed media, jewellery, metalwork and biomaterials.
The six Leicester artists featured in this exhibition are:
Sarah-May Johnson was drawn to weaving for its tactile qualities and mathematical processes. Taking inspiration from the natural world, she continuously experiments with weave techniques. pushing traditional boundaries to pioneer new methods. Her series draws from nature’s intricate patterns and the appeal of repetitive, symmetrical designs. The works are particularly influenced by Ernst Haeckel’s natural history illustrations from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Emma-Jane Rule: Emma-Jane’s metalwork combines traditional silversmithing and fold-forming techniques. She draws inspiration from nature’s rhythms and patterns. Influenced by leaves, trees and wild landscapes, she transforms natural energy and beauty into unique, sculptural designs. The works combine modern fold-forming with traditional skills like hammer forming, silver soldering and patination. Leaves and stems, created in hammered copper are intertwined into garlands that contrast beautifully with simple, fabricated elements.
Jade Webb: Jade is a textile artist who deliberately allows the loom weaving process to develop in ways that are less controlled than traditional weaving, introducing frayed edges, unpredictable lines and erratic patterns.
Webb talks about this divergence from the standardised grids of traditional weaving as being similar to the neurodivergent experience. The work creates something new and beautiful by working around the constraints of the loom on which they were created.
Jo Cope: Jo’s practice explores cultural relationships with shoes. Her handcrafted sculptural artworks are made using traditional footwear processes. They become vessels to communicate different ideas and stories.
Jo often uses the red stiletto, an outdated female shoe stereotype. She does this to make feminist statements by challenging its form.
Keisha Brittle: When working with glass, Keisha loves to explore a range of processes using both hot and cold techniques.
Her work represents her Jamaican heritage and expresses her journey of reconnecting with her family. Her glass pieces are inspired by Jamaica’s natural beauty captured in photographs from her Grandad in the Caribbean.
Deirdre Figueiredo, Director Craftspace, commented: “In 2025, the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, the exhibition shows how artists are playing their role in evolving the cultural voice and identity of the Midlands. The curation of the exhibition gives artists an unusual opportunity to experiment, speculate and make work freely without commercial constraints and audiences will be amazed and inspired.”
The exhibition is the ninth in the Made in the Middle series and will tour galleries across the Midlands into 2026 raising the profile of regional artists and providing an opportunity to sell. For the public and collectors, it’s a chance to commission a unique artwork or buy existing pieces to suit all budgets.
Artists’ work is also available to buy online through Craftspace’s shop at craftspace.co.uk
Made in the Middle is a regional touring exhibition curated by Craftspace in partnership with Leicester Gallery at De Montfort University, funded by Arts Council England.
#MadeITM craftspace.co.uk madeinthemiddle.org
Information for Listings:
Exhibition Venue: Leicester Gallery, Vijay Patel Building, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester LE1 9BH
Until 22 March 2025
Opening Times:
Term Time: Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm | Saturday 12pm – 5pm
Holidays: Midday to 5pm Monday – Saturday
thegallery.dmu.ac.uk/visit-us/
Free entry.
(Future venues are: Hub, Sleaford 5 April – 6 July 2025
Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery 27 September – 22 November 2025
MAC Birmingham 14 February – 11 April 2026)