Temple Works News

I suppose we all saw the news this morning that Burberry have scrapped plans for Temple Works. It doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Some of us weren’t convinced it was the best plan for the building from the beginning, and there was a brilliant local developer with a better plan I thought. But the leader of Leeds City Council has just offered reassurance that all will be well, so that’s me reassured at least…

Still, it is a bit of a shame that we are back where we were ten years or so ago, with an empty, neglected Grade 1 listed iconic Leeds building which is basically just an appendage to an out of town car park. It’s a ten acre site occupied by a single security guard who monitors the building through a series of camera screens. Which is a bit of a waste, some might say.

For a few years, before Burberry flattered the council into thinking they could do something with the place, Temple Works was a lively, interesting, unique addition to the Leeds cultural scene. About 70 artists/makers/musicians/actors were based there. None of them were paid, subsidised, funded or supported in any way. They kept the building alive.

You had to be a certain type to be based at Temple Works. There was no heating. There was one hot water tap in the whole place. And the toilet facilities were somewhat rudimentary. Plus, as part of being there, you had to work to keep the place going. Hard, physical, demanding work too; ask anyone who had the pleasure of being handed one of Susan Williamson’s many cleaning and general upkeep rotas. Mopping the spilt beer from the concrete floor on a freezing November morning is an experience nobody who had the pleasure is ever likely to forget.

But it seemed to work.

And we managed to do some amazing, beautiful and creative stuff. Lots of crap too, but if anyone who runs a cultural venue says that everything they do is always of the best quality they are lying. Especially if you are trying to do stuff that wouldn’t or couldn’t be done anywhere else in the city. Crap is part of the deal.

Here’s a few photos from Si Cliff, who probably went to more events there than most people and took some wonderful pictures. His Temple Works gallery is worth looking at. He’s still the only photographer ever to snap me in a hat (usually Si’s hat!) He took some great pictures of queues too.

But I’m going to start with one pic I took myself. This is a bit naughty, and I’ll probably get bollocked for it as it was a shoot I should not have agreed to. I didn’t have permission, well not exactly. But it is beautiful. And sums up what we are missing.

That guy really was flying!

Anyhow, here’s Si’s pictures in no particular order and I’ll spare you the commentary. I imagine plenty of people will recognise themselves.