Aire Street Darkroom
Aire Street Darkroom is a community-run centre, bringing together a membership of enthusiasts of analogue photographers and printmakers. Through the efforts and determination of its members, Aire Street now has the best-equipped darkroom in Leeds for processing black and white film and making photographic prints. Aire Street Darkroom is currently funded entirely by its membership, and income from the courses which it runs to promote the practice of analogue photography, and to extend knowledge in this area. They also make the darkroom a fun social hub for its members to meet, share and collaborate.
Aire Street Darkroom was created by a band of founder members in 2017 who had met on black & white photography evening classes at Leeds Art College. When the classes closed, the group were proactive in creating a new venture to keep the analogue flame burning. From its early days with a fledgling founding membership of just nine in one of LCVS’ smaller units, the Aire Street Darkroom has migrated to the much larger unit and now boasts a membership of nearly 50, welcoming individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. The equipment and facilities have also expanded and improved significantly.
The popular range of courses offered by Aire Street Darkroom to the wider community also continues to be extended. They have organised a number of joint events with local creative partnerships - these include hosting workshops to train photographers in historic and alternative photographic processes and photo walks to record architecture and the general built environment in the Leeds area.
Aire Street Darkroom wants to continue its growth as a member-led, not-for-profit arts organisation, supporting photographers and filmmakers practising in Leeds and the wider region by providing a place to learn and continue to increase their experience through offering facilities to practice, and attend courses and workshops. By doing so, they can contribute to the cultural scene in Leeds, supporting the retention of arts graduates, arts practitioners and creatives in the city, and adding to the diverse range of activities available here.
They were made aware of the Aire Street premises during their initial search to set up a photographic darkroom, and LCVS have given the flexibility to migrate to a larger unit as the membership has grown. They believe that the Aire Street Darkroom in its present form in such a central Leeds location could not exist without the low-cost workspace which LCVS offers.