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Marissa Cetin
23 May 2023, 17:17

Sheffield’s Gut Level announces Northern DIY club culture Barbican exhibition

The queer-led DIY collective will promote the Northern grassroots scene throughout the month of June at the London cultural institution 

Sheffield’s Gut Level announces Northern DIY club culture Barbican exhibition

Sheffield crew Gut Level are hosting an exhibition at London's Barbican Centre about DIY club culture in the North of England.

The queer-led DIY collective will take over the Barbican's Curve Gallery all June, from the 1st through 30th, as part of design-focused RESOLVE Collective's 'them's the breaks' programme. The free exhibition will display photography from across the Northern DIY community, including Partisan Collective, MAP Charity, Mondo Radio, Wharf Chambers and QUARRY. 

During the month-long takeover, there'll be a day of workshops and discussions exclusively by and for those involved in the Northern DIY scene. On 3rd June, Gut Level will host a party in Curve Gallery with Cosmic Slop and Mondo that'll run from 9 PM  to 1 AM, followed by a private afterparty. 

"We don't need validation from the Barbican, and grassroots DIY parties will continue on long after its walls have crumbled," Gut Level said in an interview with Resident Advisor. "But this is a nice example of how large/stable institutions can give space and resources to grassroots organisations during a time when many small cultural spaces are struggling. Credit here to RESOLVE who've been the instigators behind this. Cross-collaboration between small collectives is the real exciting thing here that we hope to continue."

Gut Level is currently located on Eyre Street in Sheffield after being forced out of their Snow Lane venue due to the effects of gentrification. The Eyre Street space was always intended to be a temporary home, with plans for a Chapel Walk ex-cafe space in the works. 

Learn more about DIY in The North: Strength, Resistance and Hedonism on Gut Level's website.