About ArtWorks Together
ArtWorks Together is an international arts festival for adult artists who have a learning disability, are autistic, or both. It gives artists a professional platform in major public venues and shows audiences the ambition and quality of their work.
The festival launched in 2021 at Wentworth Woodhouse, receiving over 1,000 submissions in its first year. The second edition returned to Wentworth Woodhouse in 2023 with 658 applications and selected work from six countries.
In 2026 the festival moved to Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery, with a station commission at Sheffield Railway Station and a second exhibition at Barnsley Civic. 97 artworks by artists from 24 countries were shown, 42,186 people visited the Millennium Gallery exhibition, and more than 1,600 took part in workshops, tours, screenings and events. Artists travelled from the Philippines, Greece, India, Slovakia and the USA to attend.
Who Produces the Festival
ArtWorks Together is produced by ArtWorks South Yorkshire, an inclusive arts organisation established in 2014 that supports over 110 artists every week through studios in Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley. ArtWorks delivers studio programmes, professional development, exhibitions and public engagement across the region and nationally, and is developing The Art Works Gallery as a permanent home for its artists.
ArtWorks Together 2026 was funded by Arts Council England, supported by East Midlands Railway and Community Rail Network, and delivered in partnership with Sheffield Museums, Sheffield DocFest, Yorkshire Artspace, Cambridge Street Collective, Printed By Us, Sheffield Culture and the Yorkshire and Humber Visual Arts Network.
What's Next
ArtWorks Together is a biennial festival. The next edition is planned for 2028, with the ambition of exhibiting at the Millennium Galleries and at The Art Works Gallery, the UK’s first nationally recognised gallery for artists with learning disabilities and/or autism, opening in Sheffield’s Kelham Island. Sign up to be the first to hear about the 2028 open call.
Learn More About ArtWorks South Yorkshire