The Auxiliary Project Space to Officially Open Its Doors on Wednesday 9th September
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIDDLESBROUGH, UK — 23 July 2026
The North East's Artist-Led Powerhouse The Auxiliary Project Space set to re-open its 14,000 sq ft Creative Complex on Wednesday 9th September after £1.6million pounds of investment.
Middlesbrough's leading artist-led organisation marks the completion of its capital development project with the official opening of its 14,000 sq ft creative complex.
On Wednesday 9th September, The Auxiliary Project Space will officially open its doors. After months of delays, the 14,000 sq ft artist-led space will open for good, marking the completion of a significant capital development project supported by funds from DCMS's Cultural Development Fund and Middlesbrough Development Corporation and supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority.
The Auxiliary started in 2016 as a self-funded, sound-art residency in Stockton and has since grown into one of the leading artist-led organisations in the North East, backed by an unstoppable creative community. A National Portfolio Organisation for Arts Council England since 2023, The Auxiliary is based in the heart of Middlesbrough and is home to 27 studios, creative co-work space, a contemporary gallery, experimental music venue, and community garden. The Auxiliary works with over 100 artists annually through exhibition and event programmes which showcase regional talent alongside internationally recognised artists.
From the beginning, The Auxiliary has worked to counter the inertia of dormant, vacant retail units across Tees Valley, acting as an instigator in the town centre and providing artists with the resources, spaces, and community needed to thrive. The organisation's two sister festivals, Sonic Arts Week and Middlesbrough Art Week, work with artists at all stages, from graduate and early career talent in the region to internationally recognised practitioners.
The Auxiliary is a founding member of the Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership, represents the visual art sector on TVCA's Creative Place Advisor Group, and is an active member of the Tees Valley Festival Network. As part of a wider ecology of artist-led organisations in Teesside, The Auxiliary has been pivotal in transforming Middlesbrough's industrial landscape into a site for experimental, artistic, and cultural disruption.
The official opening on 9th September will celebrate this next chapter for the organisation, welcoming the community, artists, and supporters into the newly completed space.
Artistic Director Liam Slevin says:
"This building has never just been about bricks and mortar. From the beginning, The Auxiliary has been about creating the conditions for artists to make ambitious work, build sustainable careers and connect with communities. After years of working in temporary and often challenging spaces, we're incredibly proud to finally open a permanent home that belongs to artists and is a creative resource to the people of Tees Valley.
I am so proud of how far we have come and it really is just a glimpse of Middlesbrough's creative future. It reflects what can happen when artists, partners and public investment come together with a shared belief that culture should be accessible, experimental and rooted in place. We hope this becomes a space where people discover contemporary art for the first time, where artists take risks, where communities feel ownership, and where new ideas are given the room to grow."
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen says:
"The Auxiliary is one of the great creative success stories of our region, and the opening of this impressive new facility is a major milestone.
Investing in our creative industries is vital if we are to ensure talented local artists, musicians and creatives can build successful careers right here at home. Facilities like this give people the space, support and opportunities they need to develop their talent, grow their businesses and showcase their work to new audiences.
The Auxiliary is playing a leading role in establishing Middlesbrough as a nationally recognised centre for creativity, culture and artistic innovation. This investment will help attract more talent, more visitors and more opportunities to our region, while strengthening Middlesbrough's reputation as one of the UK's most exciting places for the creative industries."
Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke says:
"The Auxiliary is a brilliant example of the artistic energy and vibrancy on offer right across Middlesbrough.
It sums up our town's culture of creativity perfectly.
The festivals, artists and programmes it hosts and supports are a huge part of our bid for UK City of Culture and I'm proud the Council was able to support the redevelopment with funding from Arts Council England.
Venues like The Auxiliary will be leading lights in making Middlesbrough thrive in the coming years and I look forward to seeing it broaden its offer and welcome new audiences on the back of this project."
Jane Tarr, Director North East, Arts Council England says:
"Middlesbrough is such an exciting, creative place to be at the moment, and we welcome the opening of The Auxiliary Project Space. A collaborative space to bring together and support the growing artist community that is making change in the town, it will also offer the community an opportunity to experience contemporary art on their doorstep."
Wednesday 9th September
11:00am–12:30pm — Press preview in the gallery with talks from Auxiliary Directors Edel O'Reilly and Liam Slevin, architect Angus Morrogh-Ryan, Co-Founder Anna Byrne, and Board Member Vanessa Rawlings-Jackson, followed by time for one-to-one conversations and questions.
2:00pm–4:00pm — Open to the public, with scheduled tours 2–3pm
4:00pm–5:00pm — Promoter tours
RSVP to marketing@theauxiliary.co.uk.
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For Media Information Contact:
The Auxiliary Project Space
Dani Fejér, Communications Producer
Email: marketing@theauxiliary.co.uk
Media assets: Photos and logos available here.About The Auxiliary Project Space
The Auxiliary Project Space is an artist-led, National Portfolio Organisation based in Middlesbrough that emphasises artistic development, large scale exhibitions, cultural development strategies and community participation. While the organisation is active across Middlesbrough and Teesside, its home is a 15,000 sq ft warehouse, currently under capital development supported by the DCMS Cultural Development Fund and Middlesbrough Development Corporation. In addition to the provision of artists studios, workshops, events and gallery spaces for local and international artists, The Auxiliary is the creative engine powering two further cultural festivals each year: Sonic Arts Week and Middlesbrough Art Week. A founding member of the Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership and an advocate for the visual arts and festival sector, The Auxiliary has been instrumental in transforming the region's industrial landscape into a hub for artistic and cultural innovation.About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to support individual practitioners, arts organisations, museums and libraries, and to help ensure that people in every part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live. Visit our website to learn more about our work.About Middlesbrough Development Corporation
Confirmed in statute in February 2023, and granted planning powers in June 2023, the Middlesbrough Development Corporation will focus on Middlesbrough town centre, Middlehaven and the Zetland Historic Quarter to tie them together more closely. It will also include crucial assets such as the Boho zone, Middlesbrough Station, the Northern School of Art, Centre Square, and Teesside University. Middlesbrough Football Club, Union Village, at Gresham are also included within the zone's boundaries. It has been formed with the overarching goal to transform Middlesbrough through driving investment and cutting red tape. Its focus is town centre regeneration, encouraging businesses back into the centre, reducing shop vacancy rates, building new, high-quality housing, and creating a place where people will aspire to live, work and play.A copy of the masterplan is available here, and more information on the Middlesbrough Development Corporation is available here.
The Auxiliary gallery space, 2026. Photo Credit Rachel Deakin.