Elements of Nature is a collaborative arts project by Left Bank Leeds, bringing together early-career artists, local communities, and the natural environment. Inspired by 12 natural elements—Earth, Water, Light, Shadow, Time, and more—artists and participants co-create new artworks through workshops, outdoor exploration, and creative experimentation. The final works will be showcased in a public exhibition at Left Bank Leeds in November 2025.

This project is funded by Leeds Inspired & Leeds City Council as part of their Grow Cultural development program.

Meet the Artist: Jenny Wright

Jenny Wright is a screen-printer whose work is rooted in metaphors of resilience and revolution found in nature - particularly in the hopeful arrival of spring. Her practice celebrates persistence and renewal, expressing optimism for real and tangible social change. Through both imagery and material choices, her work holds a delicate yet assertive visual language: natural forms sit alongside structural elements and text-based statements, consolidating her vision for collective care and political possibility.

Element: Earth
Project Focus: Jenny’s project explores how our relationship with nature can influence our relationship with community. Through printmaking and conversation, participants will look at themes of collective action, patience, and hope — using the metaphor of a community garden as a way to think about how we care for each other and the spaces we share.

Workshop Series: Community Harvest Printing

Jenny’s workshops can be enjoyed as a series of three or as standalone sessions - book one or all, it’s entirely up to you. ​​These creative sessions will take inspiration from the rhythms and relationships found in a community garden, using natural materials and shared stories to reflect on what it means to cultivate both plants and people. The resulting works will come together as a collective tablecloth - a symbol of gathering, sharing, and the interconnectedness of community life.

Workshop 1: Fabric Screen Printing – Inspired by Harvest (24th September)
Jenny will share her experience of community and allotment growing before introducing you to the process of paper stencil screen printing on fabric. Using harvest time as inspiration, you’ll design and print your own colourful fabric patch.

Workshop 2: Painting with Natural Dyes (8th October)
Building on the ideas from Workshop 1, you’ll experiment with homemade natural dyes created from plants grown on Jenny’s Kirkstall allotment. Participants will paint, layer, and play with colour to create unique textures and patterns on fabric.

Workshop 3: Printing on Naturally Dyed Fabric (27th October)
In the final session, you’ll screen print directly onto your dyed fabrics, adding bold shapes, text, and patterns to bring your pieces to life.

📍 Location: Left Bank Leeds
🎟 Cost: Free – click Get Tickets to sign up for one or all sessions
👥 Who Can Join: Open to all** (no experience required!)

**Please note that any children need to be accompanied by an adult (both child and adult would require a ticket)

Screen Printing is easiest standing up, and can require standing up for extended periods of time however can be adapted if necessary to stay seated. The process requires moderate arm strength but assistance can/will be provided to anyone who would find this difficult.

What to Expect:

• Learn simple and accessible printmaking techniques using natural materials
  
  
• Explore themes of care, patience, and optimism through a community garden metaphor
  
  
• Contribute to a collaborative artwork for public exhibition at Left Bank Leeds
  
  

Come curious and ready to get hands-on! Whether you join one session or all three, you’ll make a contribution to a larger collective piece which will be exhibited in the project exhibition at Left Bank in November.

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