About Us
Based in Leicester city, Kala Arts CIC began in 2023 with a mission to empower communities through creativity.
We offer workshops and projects that promote collaboration and diversity, focusing on accessible, inclusive opportunities for creative expression across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
We engage marginalised groups and create spaces for all backgrounds to explore art while prioritising sustainability and eco-friendly practices. With a trauma-informed, person-centered approach, Kala Arts collaborates with local and national partners to promote equity and cultural dialogue, empowering individuals to realise their potential and amplify their stories through art.
Our Journey
Kala Arts CIC was founded in March 2023 with the mission of empowering communities through creativity and fostering sustainable practices. Within a few months of inception, we secured a studio space at the LCB Depot in September 2023, marking a significant milestone in establishing our presence in the heart of Leicester’s cultural quarter.
Our early success included the Material Girls Pilot, a series of workshops fully funded by the Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation (LRCF). This initiative encouraged young women to explore furniture upcycling, blending creativity with sustainability.
In 2024, Kala Arts expanded its reach with the launch of Cultural Quarter Earlies, delivering monthly film-inspired workshops designed to engage families and new audiences. We collaborated with key organisations such as Talent 25, 2Funky Arts, Opal 22, Bring the Paint, the Riverside Festival, and Leicester Galleries and Museums, solidifying our reputation as a dynamic force in Leicester’s arts scene.
In 2025, we delivered Challenge Upcycle Workshops, fully funded by the DMU Community Foundation and the Community Fund. These workshops empowered participants to transform household items, promote sustainability, and develop new skills, reflecting Kala Arts’ commitment to accessible, meaningful, and environmentally conscious creative opportunities.
In Spring/Summer 2025 we were comissioned by Art Reach to develop and facilitate creative upcycling workshops in schools and community groups in Leicester to create artwork for installation as part of Re/Action Festival in Leicester city centre.
From our modest beginnings to an exciting future, Kala Arts CIC continues to grow as a hub for creativity, collaboration, and community impact.
Three years of Kala Arts CIC.
Three years of creativity, courage and community.
What started in a shipping container on the first floor in Hamilton has grown into something truly powerful.
In August 2023, we moved into our studio at LCB Depot — and from there, we’ve gone from strength to strength.
85 workshops delivered
10 alternative provision sessions
LOTS of Community-based and studio-based programmes!
We have started working with the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, exhibited an artwork installation as part of the Re:Action Festival with Art Reach, carried out a meaningful collaboration with Womentim CIC, and have ongoing partnerships with Phoenix Cinema, De Montfort University Talent 25, and LCB Depot CQE…
We’ve worked with families, young people, care-experienced participants, artists, educators and community partners to prove that creativity changes lives.
From scrap materials to festival-ready artwork.
From small beginnings to bold ambitions.
And we’re only just getting started.
Thank you to everyone who has supported, collaborated, funded, volunteered and believed in Kala Arts. You are part of this story.
Here’s to bigger impact, deeper roots, and even more creativity in the years ahead.
Kala Arts is Three!
