Bankley Studios + Gallery

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Bankley Studios + Gallery

Bankley Studios and Gallery, Levenshulme, Manchester

Studios

The studios currently have over 30 Artists in residence working across a range of disciplines including painting, textiles, photography, installation, sculpture and ceramics. The studios are located in Levenshulme, Manchester and were set up in 1992, officially becoming a co-operative in 1998. Each year there is an Open Studios event which enables the public a view into the individual work spaces of the resident Artists over one weekend.

27/02/2026

We have 3 studios available 🎨

Various sizes | £61–£182 pcm

Apply by Friday 6th March, midnight.

• 24-hour access
• Secure locking door
• Access via stairs
• Returnable rent + key deposits
• £1 Co-op membership fee

BANKLEY is a co-operatively run artists’ studio group, home to 30+ artists across three floors, with a public gallery on the ground floor. As a co-op, all members help run the gallery — including invigilation, upkeep, and taking part in open studio weekends. There are also opportunities to join the committee (gallery team, secretary, treasurer, studio coordinator + more).

Studios available on a fixed term tenancy until October 2027.

To apply:

Send up to 5 images of your work + max 300 words about your practice and why you’d like to join Bankley (include website if you have one) to [email protected]

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to view the studio in person.

Good luck! ✨

10/02/2026

“One of Manchester’s oldest community art organisations”. ❤️
More moments from our chat with on Bankley and why creative spaces matter. Full episode—link in bio

04/02/2026

So grateful to for inviting us to speak on Communi-TEA last week to talk all things Bankley 💬✨
Big thanks as well to Vanessa, one of our Bankley committee members, for repping us so brilliantly 🙌

26/01/2026

🚨 Tomorrow | 1PM - 2PM🚨

Bankley Committee’s own Vanessa will be LIVE on ALL FM.96.9 Radio with on Communi-TEA ☕

Don’t miss the lowdown on what’s happening and how you can show up for this community ✨ CommuniTEA CommunityVoices SupportLocal Grassroots GetInvolved

25/01/2026

Imported Update…

Thank you so much for your generous donations and ongoing support for our artists and community.

We’ve recently received court papers confirming that the building’s owner has formally applied to evict us. This news is tough, and we’re still processing it with the full cooperative.

The eviction notice was signed back in November, shortly after a deadline we were given, but it doesn’t reflect all the hard work we’ve done since then.

We’re taking time to figure out our next steps and will keep you updated as things progress. Thanks again for standing with us.

💙💙💙

31/12/2025

2025 at Bankley!

It’s been a year of ups and downs. We’ve had some brilliant exhibitions welcomed lots of new members and received a record number of applications for our open call which led to a really strong programme.

It hasn’t all been easy. As many of you know we’ve faced some difficult moments including the threat of eviction. Thanks to the support and encouragement from our community we’ve stayed strong kept going and are looking ahead to 2026.

Happy New Year! 🥳

01/12/2025

Another week down 💙 Thankyou to everyone who has shared or donated. The legal threat to Bankley still hangs over us.

We have done everything asked, yet we still face the risk of lease forfeiture. Your support is the reason we’ve made it this far.

A special thank you to solicitor Steven Jennings at Land Law in Altrincham for his exceptional help, guidance and kindness. If you need a solicitor, he’s the one to call.

Please keep sharing our campaign. It truly keeps us going We’ll update you again soon. 💙💙

20/11/2025

Huge thank you to everyone who’s shared or donated so far! ❤️
Your support is helping us cover essential survey costs as we work to secure our lease and protect our building.
Please keep sharing, seeing the community rally around Bankley Studios & Gallery means the world to us.
We’re fighting to stay here long-term, and every bit of support helps.
Thank you, from all of us at Bankley Studios. 🙏

16/11/2025

Help us share our story 💔🎨

Bankley Studios & Gallery, a longstanding artist-led community of 37 people, faces possible eviction.

We’ve been in our building for more than three decades. An established feature of the Levenshulme area, our closure would be a blow to the local area.

Run by volunteers through a cooperative structure, Bankley offers a regular programme of free public exhibitions and creative events.

Now, however, we face the real possibility of eviction.

We face a period of expensive legal action and other costs (physical surveys and works) as we try to stay here. We hope to find a negotiated solution which allows us to be part of our building’s long-term future.

PLEASE HELP US RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT OUR SITUATION.

Please help us by:
💬 Sharing this post
💰 Donating to the Bankley fundraiser (link in bio)
🤝 Offering help, advice, or solidarity

15/10/2025

🎉 Announcing the Bankley Open Call 2025 Winner: Bella Cagnoli (.art)! 🎉

We’re so excited to introduce Bella, a 3rd Year Fine Art student at Manchester School of Art whose playful, absurd and deeply humorous practice brings joy and connection to the everyday.

✨ Artist Statement — Bella Cagnoli ✨

I’m Bella and I’m in my 3rd Year of Fine Art at Manchester School of Art. I relish in finding joy in unexpected places, playing as much as possible and attempting to make existing in this world more tolerable.

My practice stems from an aim to create spaces of euphoria and humour, to rupture the mundanity of everyday living and counter the cultural pessimism prevalent in the UK. Through a light-hearted approach I construct absurd, eccentric, kinetic, interactive sculptures, as well as performances utilising slapstick, dark and surreal humour as a device to boost morale.

My works have spoof-like horror elements and I often question why I have this gravitation to the unsettling. However, as we exist in a world saturated with disturbing events, it seeps into my practice. Instead of fighting against it I can offer a form of escapism, for me and the viewer.

As a Stand-Up Comedian I am fascinated by the shared experience of laughter. I hope to recreate the manner an audience bonds over a joke during a gig through my ridiculous works. I aspire to disarm the viewers and create a fleeting sense of unity, not only through comedy but interactive elements, allowing the viewer to play with my pieces like how a child does with toys.

We can’t wait to welcome Bella’s energy and humorous world to Bankley Gallery in 2026! 👏👏

Address

Bankley Street
Manchester
M193PP

Telephone

+447968008840

Website

http://bankley.org.uk/, http://twitter.com/#!/bankleygallery

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