Formed in late 2020, Bath Art Depot (BAD) is a collective of artists, architects, curators, and artist-educators who live in Bath. The collective’s aim is to develop an arts and cultural hub that brings together the vibrant, yet dispersed, creative community living and working in the city.
A place…
where contemporary art and community meet
that challenges the barriers to art and culture
that builds a creative environment upon the values of equity and care
that encourages working together for a better future
that is for anyone who wants to use it
that listens and learns from its community
that shares its resources generously and contributes to the city
that considers its impact on our planet
that promotes learning with and through art
that supports wellbeing through art and culture
In 2022, BAD was awarded a West of England Visual Arts Alliance (WEVAA) Fellowship to develop this vision and initiate a series of community engagement projects, organised into ‘chapters’.
Weston Island
Following the announcement by First Bus that the company would be leaving Weston Island, a uniquely positioned site in the west of Bath, BAD prepared a proposal to transform the Island into a co-owned space for arts and culture. Working with Feilden Fowles Architects, BAD developed a vision for the Island that would provide much needed studio space, maker spaces, exhibition venues, space for community-led events and spaces for local businesses to offer food, drink, retail, and entertainment.
In 2023, First Bus announced its plans to stay on Weston Island and invest in the electrification of its fleet and depot. While this has put BAD’s plans for the site on hold, the possibility of developing it into a space for arts and culture has been incorporated into B&NES Council’s 2025 Local Plan (p.48).
BAD Members
Poppy Clover
Kelsey Cruz-Martin
Fergus Feilden
Layla Gatens
Natasha Kidd
Bridget de León
Dominic McKeown
Matt Page
Simon Periton
Philip Raby
Nicola Turner
Eleanor Sanghara
