Art gallery opens in former Wilko store

A former Wilko store in Sheffield has been repurposed for use as an art gallery.

London-based arts charity Hypha Studios has converted the site in Bradfield Road, Hillsborough, in order to feature work by local artists.

Curator Thomas Griffiths, 31, said re-using these spaces was "vital" due to the number of empty buildings in the city.

"We should be able to re-use them in some way and give them a new lease of life so they can generate opportunities for the community," he added.

The Hillsborough store closed in September 2023, after the high-street chain collapsed into administration.

Will Jennings, director of Hypha Studios, said the charity wanted to rethink the future of the high street and make it a "cultural centre".

He said the charity worked as a middleman between landlords with empty buildings and artists in need of the space.

This can open up spaces "which would otherwise be closed off".

"We really want people to make culture across the towns and cities where they are," he said.

"You don't know who's going to be the next Turner Prize winner, it could be someone in the current show at Wilko's."

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