Leeds dance hub Yorkshire Dance secures major funding to modernise Quarry Hill base

Yorkshire Dance, a Leeds-based charity that promotes health, happiness, and social change through dance, has secured £750,000 in funding towards a planned multi-million-pound refurbishment.

First established in 1982, the organisation has called a former textile mill in Quarry Hill its home since 1988. The space, which features exposed brickwork, wooden beams, and industrial metal fixtures, has attracted national attention as one of the country’s most distinctive dance studios.

The £750,000 injection, from Arts Council England’s Creative Foundations Fund, will enable Yorkshire Dance to begin phase one of its extensive refurbishment project. The work aims to preserve the building’s heritage while bringing the facilities “into the 21st century”.

Announced on April 14, the funding “cements Leeds’ reputation” as a “city of dance” by recognising the venue’s strategic importance, said Yorkshire Dance chair Mark Hollander.

“With so many dance artists based in Leeds, the lack of studio space in the city is well recognised,” he said. “Our current building hasn’t been renovated since the 1980s, so you can imagine that after almost 40 years and hundreds of visitors each week, the facilities are now in critical need of refurbishment.”

“Receiving this grant is a transformational moment for Yorkshire Dance, expanding studio space in the city and improving access to ensure more local people can benefit from dance.”

The funding will go towards converting currently unused areas into a new dance studio and three offices for creative organisations. Accessibility is a key focus, with upgrades planned for the foyer, seating bank, changing rooms, and toilets.

The building will also receive improvements to the energy efficiency of its plumbing and heating systems. Refurbishment work is expected to begin this summer.

“This building renovation has been in development for over 10 years,” said Jo Hawkes, the charity’s executive director. “We’re extremely grateful to our incredible community of supporters who donated towards our renovation, enabling us to secure this £750,000 investment from Creative Foundations.

“We have a big summer ahead of us, but we’re so excited to welcome audiences back in September.”

Yorkshire Dance is among 16 cultural venues, museums, and libraries set to receive a share of more than £11 million in funding. In total, 130 organisations across the country received funding on Tuesday as part of the Government’s Arts Everywhere Fund, a £1.5 billion package to support cultural infrastructure projects.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the investment reflects a broader commitment to strengthening cultural life across the country, highlighting the role such organisations play in shaping local identity and national story.

She said: “I want everyone, everywhere, to feel a sense of pride about where they come from. Cultural organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber are important custodians of local identity and play a key role in the story we tell ourselves as a nation...

“Arts and culture are the beating hearts of our communities. They have the power to unite us in the face of division and break down barriers to opportunity. We want to harness that power to help build a brighter future for the people of Yorkshire and the Humber.”