Artist's Showcase Window

Sparks Bristol, 78 Broadmead, Bristol BS1 3JA

Free and open to the public on Wednesday - Sunday from Wednesday 5th to Sunday 30th August, 11am - 6pm (5pm on Sundays)
The work in the windows will be visible and accessible all day every day, so have a look any time

This exhibition reveals art practices that happen at home. Increasingly, artists are expected to pay to create art and share experiences with the public; so this show has been developed to celebrate creativity that grows in private spaces by bringing it into the city centre.

Sparks Bristol have been fantastic in staging this this exhibition, their open and democratic model chimes perfectly with this show’s values.

Through working with the public in both a real-life and creative context, curators Dan Petley (director of Brick Project CIC, who has spent years making public art alongside everyday artists) and Becca Leia have developed this show to expose great art by everyday people made in their own private spaces. Through residencies and workshops with the featured artists, we invite the public to experience, share and create with them.

Showcase for Artists is the deliberately basic title, reflecting the autonomous way the participating artists create work, in their own homes and generally outside of the hierarchy of higher education. The focus is on artists who I have encountered and worked with in public access workshop settings such as Brick Project and accessible community spaces like PRSC and Hackspace. As well as the extremely open access music events I curate in the Chelsea and Red Lion pubs in BS5, which I have been running since 2013.

Dan Petley

Alaric Hobbs, Alfie Dwyer, Becca Leia, Bertram That Geezabird, Bethany Stenning, Dan Cooper, Dan Petley, Eliza Skye, Gavin Mcphail, Glen Keep, Hannah Vickers, Helen Hardaker, Kat Martian, object..., Shea Thomas, Stella MacArthur, Viva La May

Glen Keep is an Un-filtered and un-enhanced visual artist exploring collisions between reality and the imagination
Dan Cooper is a Fine Artist exploring our desire for permanence in objects and ideas that are otherwise destined to be disregarded
Becca Leia Your First Journey on the 178 2026

Residency Schedule

August 2026
Wednesday–Saturday: Shift 1: 11am–2.30pm  |  Shift 2: 2.30–6pm
Sundays: Shift 1: 11am–2pm  |  Shift 2: 2–5pm

Date Morning Event Afternoon Event Workshop / Event / Performance Description
Wednesday 5th All available artists All available artists Installation Tweaks The community of artists comes together to collaboratively complete the window installation
Thursday 6th
Friday 7th
Sunday 9th Dan Petley and Becca Leia Dan Petley Surrogate Continuing to install "Surrogate" and planning for upcoming projection elements
Sunday 9th Dan Petley Kat Martian Morning: Surrogate
Afternoon: Off The Wall
Morning: Surrogate wall section completion
Afternoon: Ritual and Art Workshop - about crazy wisdom, living in the moment, embracing happy accidents and exploring the inner clown
Opening event from 4-5, everyone is welcome
Wednesday 12th
Thursday 13th
Friday 14th Dan Petley and Becca Leia Dan Petley and Becca Leia Surrogate Installing the projection elements of Surrogate. Both artists will be available for Q&A
Saturday 15th
Sunday 16th
Wednesday 19th
Thursday 20th
Friday 21st
Saturday 22nd
Sunday 23rd
Wednesday 26th
Thursday 27th
Friday 28th
Saturday 29th
Sunday 30th