The group show 'The Nature of Things was hosted on the third floor of Salts Mill at Saltaire from 1 - 31 May 2026 and featured a selection of work by members of the Yorkshire Sculptors Group.
De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) was a first century poem by the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus (c.99-55 BC). The poem introduced Roman readers to Epicurean philosophy and presented principles of atomism, explanations of celestial and terrestrial phenomena and described how physical principles are guided by chance, rather than divine intervention by the Roman deities. Lucretius also documented (in his opinion) the development of human made tools and weapons through the ages and began a train of thought that eventually became the study of evolution.
The third floor of Salts Mill had previously been unused and was therefore an unmissable and unforgettable opportunity to exhibit work in this splendid space, which was first lightly cleaned while being careful not to disrupt or disturb the amazing patina of the environment.
Plinths and stands were dispensed with, allowing the work a direct physical connection with the architecture so that the work and the building became one entity to be experienced together, almost as a total installation work.
I began work on a new piece that could be shown here for the first time, but as I was currently deeply immersed in my PhD studies, I had to move to plan B and show two small works that had not been exhibited since they were first shown to the public in 2020 at L'Usine in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as part of the 'Weaving Experience Into Memory' exhibition.
It is always enjoyable to show work, but to show my work in such a unique space, it felt especially rewarding, a real privilege.
The group show 'Here, There and Now' was hosted at Barnsley Civic, UK from 11 April to 23 May 2026 and once again featured work by members of the Yorkshire Sculptors Group.
The exhibition was held on Level Zero, which was previously not used being used in the regular scheduling of the arts centre. The rough, undecorated nature of the space lent itself very sympathetically to its use for contemporary sculpture.
I exhibited the piece 'District 7, 11x8, White Relief', 2022 with the piece's monochrome, rectilinear arrangement juxtaposing well with the rough-hewn wall on which it was hung.
The warm, angled light helped the piece glow within the space and accentuated the shadows across the shallow relief of the composition.
The well-attended private view was held on the evening of Friday 10 April.
Exhibition Poster
'District 7, 11x8, White Relief' in situ at Barnsley Civic
The piece showing the lighting effect
Members of the Yorkshire Sculptors Group surveying the venue space
My chosen space, providing a rough-hewn surface to counter the work
I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Leeds Songbook project, involving a collaboration between Composers and Poets, and new for 2026, Visual artists.
The project was led by Martin Iddon (Composers' Convenor) and Hannah Stone (Poet's Convenor).
In total ten groups were formed, each comprising a Poet, a composer, a pianist, a singer and an artist.
I was allocated into a group with poet Hannah Stone, composer Florence Lloyd, pianist Alexander Karl Koschka and soprano Martina Neubauer.
Hannah's poem:
Omar/Apus Apus -
'Swifts are my fable of community' (Helen Macdonald)
(Lines in italics are from her Vesper Flights or Collins Book of Birds)
...................
I am cleaning the kitchen when Omar invites me to share his food
(may be residents, partial or passage migrants, summer visitors)
slices of bread pop up from the toaster; two boiled eggs are peeled and broken open
(in outbreaks of bad weather, often survive for days without food)
there is no honey for the yogurt; he spoons the last of the jam into a dish
(nest in obscure places, in dark or cramped spaces)
with a flat blade, he prises open a handful of walnuts
(spend most of their lives in flight)
sweet steam rises from rose-petal tea
(frequently make weather-evading flights)
the sharing blesses both of us
Hannah Stone
After reading Hannah's poem I created a mixed media sculpture that attempted to address the poetic meeting of certain elements that appear in the poem.
The Tale of the Martlet
The Tale of the Martlet comprises four elements housed in glass jars and stored within a dark-stained wooden box that isolates the elements from the everyday world, allowing and encouraging us to perceive them in a new way. The four elements are preserved s if they are precious, worth of preservation and protection for their symbolic value rather than an inherent monetary value. During times of stress, trauma and emotional upheaval it is often simple things that leave the greatest impression upon us.
Half in and half out of the wooden box is crinkled, well used map of the region that leads to the city of Leeds, found within the wooden box. A small pocket compass lies upon the map and is tethered to a small metal effigy of a bird, perhaps a swift, that seeks to effect or enhance the functioning of the compass in some favourable way.
I was pleased with the final state of the model and felt that it embodied the spirit of the poem Hannah had written. It was also well received during the rehearsals and during the final performance/exhibition that was held at Brodrick Hall, Leeds City Museum on Wednesday 15 April 2026.
On exhibition in the Brodrick Hall, Leeds City Museum
Brodrick Hall just before doors opened
The full event performance on the Leeds Song YouTube Channel
Credits to Leeds Song & Biscuit Recordings (@appleandbiscuit)
The full list of groups was as follows:
Poem: Careful by Rachel Curzon, music composed by Eléna Rosemary Adams, Artist: Louie de Silva
Counter-tenor: Zheng Jiang, Pianist: Yihan Zhao
Poem: Catch by Nicky Kippax, music composed by Nate Chadwick, Artist: Jessica Cooper
Soprano: Carleigh Ross, Pianist: Curtis Vetter
Poem: Alive by Zelick Mendelovich, music composed by Ella Cookson, Artist: Michael king
Baritone: Bruno Meichsner, Pianist: Wan-yen Li
Poem: Queue Theory by Vanessa Napolitano, music composed by Rob Crehan, Artist: Maria Radulescu
Baritone: Daniel Sauer, Pianist: Honoka Komoda
Poem: Margaret by Charlotte Oliver, music composed by Julien Durand, Artist: Seohee Lee
Mezzo-soprano: Klara Solén, Pianist: George Herbert
Poem: Omar/Apus Apus by Hannah Stone, music composed by Florence Lloyd, Artist: Patrick S. Ford
Soprano: Martina Neubauer, Pianist: Alexander Karl Koschka
Poem: The Language of Flowers by Lydia Kennaway, music composed by Maxwell Nelson, Artist: Skyla West, Soprano: Mariana Rodrigues, Pianist: Andrew Cowie
Poem: A Train of a Hundred Thousand Cancer Survivor Stars by Karen Elizabeth Bucknall, music composed by Elliot Park, Artist: Saranna Watkins, Mezzo-soprano: Naomi Boot, Pianist: Viviana Țaga-Radu
Poem: The Valley by Mike O'Brien, music composed by Joanna Ward, Artist: Hannah Guy
Soprano: Kelsey Thomas, Pianist: Edward Lloyd
Poem: Fruits of Knowledge by Tim Boardman, music composed by Sean Whytock, Artist: Johanna Sayama, Soprano: Lisa-Marie Lebitschnig, Pianist: Amelie Warner
'The Leeds Arcades Project: Creating Contemporary Myths' is a PhD study with the University of Plymouth
Leeds City Centre is noted for its well-preserved Victorian shopping arcades, all built within a twenty-three-year period in the nineteenth century, between 1877 and 1900. The intention of this project is to examine the arcades of Leeds and people’s behaviour within them via research and a series of artistic and performative projects, and interventions with the space of the arcades, investigating the possibility of creating contemporary myths that reflect upon the current experience of everyday life.
To participate in the study you may watch the short film embedded below or via this link:
It is preferable that the film is watched within the arcade so that the viewer can follow the route of the clock figures take in the arcade environment but, of course, the film can be watched anywhere that enjoys a WiFi connection.
When you provide your feedback, please state whether you watched the film in the arcade or elsewhere, and also whether you were already familiar with the arcade or if you had never been there before.
The Disappearance of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe: A Pocket Myth
As this is a PhD study conducted through the university, I need to follow the university research ethics guidelines. I have gained approval and have prepared the following two documents, please read the information sheet and then complete the consent form, returning it via my university email address (patrick.ford@plymouth.ac.uk).
I hope that you will be able to join my project by watching the film and submitting your personal feedback. If you need any further information before watching the film, please let me know at my university email address (patrick.ford@plymouth.ac.uk).
The group show 'Small Works, Wall Works' was hosted at Trapezium Arts in Bradford, UK from 21 February to 14 March 2026 and featured work by members of the Yorkshire Sculptors Group.
Trapezium is a contemporary arts and photography gallery on Kirkgate in central Bradford, displaying a constantly changing schedule of exhibitions on a variety of themes.
I exhibited two pieces, both of which arose from the District 7 walking project conducted in Saigon Vietnam. The walking project resulted in a colour digital print that has led to several subsequent pieces and the two pieces exhibited in Bradford were enlarged details from the digital print.
Since 2015, the Fourth World Congress of Psychogeography has been held annually until this year, 2025, when it was announced that the event will cease to be held.
The final iteration of the congress was titled 'After that, this:' As the official announcement stated, All endings are beginnings, and the open call asked for proposals for talks, walks, workshops, installations, performances and happenings reflecting the theme.
The final event was held the Urban HQ, The Old Police Station, Swansea, Wales, UK on Saturday 11 October 2025.
I proposed a site-specific performance, entitled 'Double Back' that was developed, performed and recorded specifically for this congress in an alleyway in north Leeds that had fascinated me since I first saw it. The alleyway featured eight metal posts that acted as 'nodes' around which the performance route was threaded or woven to create the work.
The performance was recorded and posted on my YouTube channel here.
A presentation was also recorded, to be screened during the morning of the congress. The presentation can be viewed here.
Apart from the links above, the performance is embedded below:
...and the presentation is. embedded below:
I had participated in the congress since 2019, usually creating work specifically for the event and so it was quite sad to hear that the congress was ending.
It will be interesting to see if anything, or anyone replaces this event in the future.
Another push to update neglected write-ups, posts and events, I set aside some time to round up and post footage of the performance that was enacted on Stepcote Hill in Exeter back in 2023.
Although this performance was quite short in nature, the setting was wonderfully evocative, with the steep road only just becoming a set of stairs. A convenient handrail on the right hand side provoked a picturesque background of the half-timbered houses on the hill.
The time spent in Exeter was only a couple of days but this performance etched the memory securely in my memory and I hope it is not long before there is an opportunity to return.
