The Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize hosted by Bank Street Arts established a focus for Artists’ Books in the city and at the same time created a legacy of over 800 artists’ books. These make up a unique collection and resource, and now form the core of a fledgling organisation – The Sheffield Artist’s Book Centre – which will host the inaugural Sheffield Artist’s Book Fair and supporting events this October in conjunction with Off The Shelf Festival.

An open forum will investigate whether we can make it something more tangible. Is there a demand for an artist’s book centre? Who would use it? What format could or should it take? Where might it be housed: in a fixed location or peripatetic? Should it be limited to Artists’ Books per se? Could it be a catalyst for the coordination of events connected with the medium but held at other venues nationally or internationally? Will it be a loose configuration of interested people occasionally coming together to share an interest or passion; possibly a co-operative, or a space open to the wider public? Will it be a centre for making, research oriented or both? Is it simply a place to house and display the Collection? And more importantly, how might it be funded?

This session will aim to discuss and answer some of these questions and highlight others, providing the impetus going forward for whatever we collectively decide to do. So if you have an interest in what we are doing or proposing then please come along, have your say and get involved. Help shape the organisation and create and define the Centre.

The discussion will be chaired by Chris Taylor, Professor of Fine Art Practice at the University of Leeds. Since 1995 Chris has been Editor of the Wild Pansy Press collaborating with artists, galleries and museums in effecting ideas and projects in book form. He is also co-director of the Artists’ Writings & Publications research centre in the School of Fine Art developing networks between artists, archivists and collections. In 2007 he formed PAGES with artist John McDowall. Operating around the hub of an annual Artists’ Book Fair, the initiative has provided numerous and wide-ranging opportunities for the development and awareness of the book as primary medium in art practice. Manifestations such as exhibitions, workshops, commissions, open calls and curated projects have facilitated experimentation, dissemination and engagement for audience and makers and include two nomadic artist’s book collections: ARCHIVE (2003) and New Voices (2019).