Touring exhibitions

A Dog's Life

Our national love of dogs has deep roots, and this exhibition celebrates the enduring bond between humans and their canine companions.

A Dog's Life showcases work by international artists, designers, illustrators, and photographers who use dogs as muse and subject. The exhibition explores how dogs have influenced artistic practice and become integral to our lives.

This family-friendly show includes:

• Dog-themed interactives and competitions

• Opportunities to draw and display “pooch pawtraits”

• A digital interactive to discover what you'd look like as a dog

Availability

• 28 November 2026 – 23 January 2027

• 16 October 2027 – 11 December 2027

Fees & further information

The exhibition requires approximately 250 to 350 sqm, but layouts can be adapted to suit a variety of spaces. The basic hire fee for the exhibition is £3500 + VAT for an 8-week period (plus onward transportation costs). The fee includes:

• Delivery of the exhibition (venues must assist with loading/unloading)

• Support with layout planning (venues must provide detailed gallery plans)

• Assistance with installation and dismantling (venues must provide technical support)

• All display equipment

• A selection of gallery interactives

• 2 x A1 text panels, A4 artist panels, and exhibit labels

• A pink laser-cut metal title sign (H:45cm x W:120cm) and white fur fabric for entrance wall

• 2 x TV monitors for displaying the William Wegman film and Rafael Mantesso animation

• A marketing pack with a draft press release and high-quality publicity images (with usage rights)

Note: Venues located more than three hours’ drive from 20-21 Visual Arts Centre may incur additional transport and accommodation costs.

Crochetdermy® by Shauna Richardson

Shauna Ricardson’s Crochetdermy® reimagines taxidermy through crochet, exploring themes of threatened species, the value of craft and the beauty of imperfection.

Shauna Ricardson creates life-sized crochet sculptures - a practice she went on to trademark as Crochetdermy®. Throughout her career, Shauna has created an extensive body of realistic, full scale animals using a freestyle crochet technique she began developing in 2007, when crochet was considered a declining craft. Each animal is posed and presented as a hunting trophy - creating a thought-provoking dialogue around the threatened status of both wildlife and crochet itself.

Crochetdermy® challenges the boundaries between craft and contemporary art, using a traditionally domestic medium in bold and remarkable ways. Her handmade work celebrates the power of individuality and the beauty of imperfection, qualities that will grow in significance as we move forward into an increasingly digitised world.

In this exhibition, Shauna will be showing a variety of her Crochetdermy® animals in a range of scales, from a 2.4m high polar bear and a life-sized gorilla to the head of a lion mounted as a hunting prize.

Born in Northern Ireland and raised in Leicester, Shauna studied Fine Art at De Montfort University. In 2009 she was awarded an Arts Council grant to produce three lions, each measuring over 7.5m long. These were displayed in a bespoke glass walled vehicle that toured the UK as part of the cultural celebrations for the London Olympics 2012. Shauna's work has been shown in museums and galleries around the UK and internationally, including the V&A and The National History Museum.

Availability

The exhibition will be on show at 20-21 Visual Arts Centre from 19 June to 18 September 2027. It will then be available to hire from 9 October 2027.

Tour Schedule

9 October to 5 December 2027 – Available

8 January to 4 March 2028 – Available

18 March to 20 May 2028 – Available

27 May to 20 September – Sewerby Hall, TBC

16 September to 11 November 2028 – Available

18 November to 28 January 2029 - Available

Fees and Further Information

The exhibition requires approximately 150 sqm. The basic hire fee for the exhibition is £3500 + VAT for an 8-week period (plus onward transportation costs)

Delivery of the exhibition (venues to help with unloading / loading)

Support with layout planning (venues to provide detailed and accurate gallery plans and photos)

Assistance with installation and dismantling (venues to provide technical support)

All display plinths and acrylic covers

Interpretation materials including a text panel and labels

A marketing pack with a draft press release and high-quality images with usage rights

Note: Venues located more than three hours’ drive from 20-21 Visual Arts Centre may incur additional transport and accommodation costs