You can find a wide range of organisations in Leeds that can help you to enjoy arts activities, events, workshops and classes, in the MindWell Directory:

Creative networks

  • Arts & Minds Network – The Arts and Minds Network brings together people in Leeds who believe that creativity can promote mental wellbeing.
  • Leeds Arts Health & Wellbeing Network – Leeds Arts Health & Wellbeing Network celebrates, supports and connects people interested in how arts and culture can have benefits for health, care and wellbeing.
  • Pyramid of Arts – Pyramid of Arts is a collective of artists in Leeds with and without learning difficulties.

Courses, classes and workshops

  • Feel Good Factor (Chapeltown and Harehills) – Feel Good Factor (FGF) is a charity based in Chapeltown which provides a range of community health and wellbeing groups and activities for people living in Chapeltown and Harehills.
  • Hello Workshops – Hello workshops is a sewing café which runs classes and workshops.
  • Inkwell Arts – offers safe and accessible creative arts activities in community venues across the city, for all abilities
  • Keep Real – Keep Real supports mental wellbeing with live music events, workshops and podcasts to creatively support the community.
  • Leeds Craftvists – Leeds Craftivists run by Leeds Methodist Mission (LMM) offer craft events for all crafting abilities.
  • Leeds Wood Recycling – Leeds Wood Recycling offers woodworking courses to help people learn how to make things from the recycled wood they collect.
  • Northlight Arts Centre – based near Chapel Allerton, are a not-for-profit arts centre and gallery, empowering individuals of all ages to explore and express their creativity freely.
  • Oblong (Woodhouse) – Oblong is an arts and crafts group based at Woodhouse Community Centre that offers a free weekly arts and crafts group.
  • Stitch Up – Stitch Up runs craft workshops and classes as well as community projects.
  • Swarthmore Education Centre – Swarthmore Education Centre runs a range of courses online and onsite in a friendly, informal environment, from computer skills to art or craft classes, languages to yoga.

Arts groups and organisations

  • Artlink West Yorkshire – Artlink West Yorkshire is an arts and health charity working with adults and young people with a disability or who are experiencing challenges in their lives.
  • Cultural and Social Outings (Little London Arts) – Little London Arts (LLA) runs a project called Cultural and Social Outings that offers day trips for people in Leeds, aged over 50, who experience (or are at risk of) social isolation.
  • Inkwell Arts – offers safe and accessible creative arts activities in community venues across the city, for all abilities.
  • Mentally Healthy Leeds (East and West Leeds) – Mentally Healthy Leeds run groups and activities which aim to bring people together to build confidence, friendships and reduce social isolation.
  • Northlight Arts Centre – based near Chapel Allerton, are a not-for-profit arts centre and gallery, empowering individuals of all ages to explore and express their creativity freely.
  • Purple Patch Arts – Purple Patch Arts runs activities and groups for people in Leeds with autism and learning disabilities.
  • Skippo – Skippko is an arts organisation based in Holbeck, South Leeds that runs innovative and exciting visual arts projects.
  • Space2 (Gipton) – Space2, based in Gipton, Leeds, run several groups and activities with a focus on health and wellbeing.
  • The Highrise Project – based in Armley, The Highrise Project offers a range of inclusive and accessible social and wellbeing events, including group drawing, doodling, and digital arts classes.
  • The Swan Song Project – gives anyone facing end of life and those surrounding them the opportunity to write and record their own original song at no cost, working with a professional songwriter. Also offers free weekly online singing groups.
  • This is me – This is me group a free self-esteem and confidence building group, with arts and craft activities, for women and non-binary people, run by Mentally Healthy Leeds.

Art therapy

Art venues

  • East Street Arts – East Street Arts is a contemporary arts organisation based in Leeds.

Music groups and organisations

  • Cloth Cat Leeds – Cloth Cat Leeds is a charity based in inner-city Leeds that uses music training to help local people learn new skills.
  • Harmony Choir – Harmony Choir is a friendly, cross-community choir, based in Burmantofts, for anyone in Leeds.
  • Keep Real – Keep Real supports mental wellbeing with live music events, workshops and podcasts to creatively support the community.
  • Voices of Yorkshire choirs – friendly choirs running in West and North Yorkshire, encouraging people to sing for enjoyment and to improve their health and wellbeing.
  • Opera North has Wellbeing Singing videos available for free on their website. Anyone can access them to practise singing and breathing exercises to help them feel better and enhance their lung function, release anxiety and improve their general health and wellbeing. They also run Opera Connect, with online workshops helping people appreciate opera music from around the world. Find out more from their What’s On page. The workshops are low cost for people on limited incomes and are accessed online using Zoom. They also have a course to get Leeds singing! From Couch to Chorus runs online over three weeks and features a performance you can join in-person. It’s pay-as-you-feel and has different sessions for different voices and complete beginners are welcome.

Theatre groups