Returning to Leeds from Sunderland in 1992 with no previous links with artists or arts agencies in Leeds, Karen and Jon needed somewhere to site their kiln and set up workspace. At that time, there were several small studio spaces operating in the Leeds including Oblong and Third Floor studios at Carr Mills on Meanwood Road, Jackson’s Yard and Leeds Arts Space Society on Maris Street but nowhere could accommodate the kiln due to access and space limitations.

As a result they decided to rent studio space on the third floor of East Street Mills in the East Bank / Richmond Hill area of Leeds, splitting the space into 8 studios and a communal work area and kitchen. They took one studio for their own use and advertised the remaining seven in the Leeds Alternative Paper and by word of mouth. The studios filled quickly with painters initially and later more ceramicists but a strong sense of community and identity developed from the outset amongst the artists there through discussion and debates and of course social events.

The studio complex at East Street Mills grew from 8 spaces in 1993 to 45 in 2002 with 90% occupancy. However, the physical conditions at the mills continued to be problematic – no heating or ventilation, leaking roofs and poor maintenance, no disabled access to mention but a few. ESA found a lot of their activities (training, showing, education) were being restricted by the desperate conditions and disparate resources. The desire to be able to offer more services in quality accommodation compounded with the threat of redevelopment led ESA to start looking for new premises to rent.

This proved problematic in the first instance since landlords were unwilling to sublet 5 year leases in the current climate of redevelopment and the spaces were much more expensive. It was in conversation with Maggie Saxon at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, who owned the St Patrick’s complex, that the social club became a possibility in 1999 and ESA commenced negotiations for a rental agreement.

During these negotiations however, the Playhouse decided it would rather sell St Patrick’s than rent it out due to the long term revenue implications. At the same time, ESA had been talking to Irena Bauman from BaumanLyons architects who was interested in urban redevelopment and keen to develop a visual arts centre in Leeds. It was Irena who supported ESA’s decision to buy St Patrick’s and their subsequent application to the Arts Council capital lottery programme.

They were accepted onto the scheme in 2000, where after additional funding applications to SRB and Objective 2 were later made by Paul Fallon, a freelance capital project manager who was later engaged by ESA.

The building work commenced in August 2004 and was completed in May 2005 when ESA and artists began to move into the building. The official launch was held on 29 October 2004 with speeches by Claire Thacker, Jon Wakeman, Paddy Hartley, Bernard Atha and the Rt Hon Patricia Yorke and a poem by Ian McMillan.