Hypha has a unique approach to bringing culture to communities across the UK. We are designed to emerge in any place, creating the conditions for new cultural activity to thrive. In fact, our name comes from the word hypha, one of the thread-like structures that make up the mycelium of a fungus and help new networks grow.
While the idea of opening up empty spaces for local cultural use may sound simple, it is only possible because of a wide network of artists, landlords, councils, and, of course, the visiting public. Find out more below.
Across the UK, commercial buildings sit empty while artists are being priced out of the spaces they need to make and show work. At the same time, high streets need new reasons for people to visit and communities need greater access to culture. Hypha connects all these problems.
We work with landlords, developers, and councils to transform vacant property into free spaces for artists. Through open calls, we find artists to make, exhibit, and programme the spaces. In return, the artists organise exhibitions, open studios, events, and workshops that are free for communities to experience.
Hypha started from a simple frustration: talented artists were struggling to find affordable space while buildings all around us sit empty. Our CEO, Camilla Cole, wanted to create a model where those two problems could help solve each other — giving artists opportunities while putting art into places and communities where it might not otherwise exist.
Vacant property becomes free cultural space
→ Artists get space to make and show work
→ Communities experience contemporary art for free
→ Landlords benefit from active, culturally valuable buildings
→ Hypha Curates helps artists sell their work, with income reinvested into supporting more artists
→ And the cycle continues.
What began with one empty shop has grown into a UK-wide model for putting vacant property to cultural use.
3,000+ artists supported
70+ sites across the UK
57,000+ visitors
£2.7m+ of space provided free to artists
We want to create a world with much more art in it. One where artists are properly valued, where property owners recognise culture as an economic and social force, and where contemporary art is part of everyday life — not something reserved for particular people or places.
More space for artists. More art in our communities.
More visibility for the people who make it.
We welcomed
over 50,000 people
to creative projects.
While supporting
2,476 artists
& curators.
We delivered
974 events to local
communities.
Across
43 sites all over
the UK.
We provided
over £5M worth of
free space to artists.
