MAW26: An Island of Neighbours

This autumn, as the international art world turns its attention to Middlesbrough for the Turner Prize, Middlesbrough Art Week returns for its 9th edition with a programme deeply rooted in Middlesbrough's cultural landscape. The festival presents ten days of exhibitions, installations, performances, screenings, talks and public events across the town and, for the first time, in The Auxiliary’s exhibition space, bringing together internationally renowned artists alongside some of the most exciting emerging voices working today.

Taking place under the title An Island of Neighbours, the festival explores what it means to be open, connected and actively involved in the cultural life of our places. MAW26 invites people to meet artists, make work, share ideas and discover the remarkable creative communities that exist across Teesside.

MAW26 makes a deliberate commitment to championing regional artists alongside internationally recognised voices. While the programme features leading artists including Jeremy Deller, Larry Achiampong, Sky Hopinka, Morag Myerscough, Andy Holden, Catherine Bertola, Margaret Tait, Saundra Pearl Sharp and Daisy Collingridge, the festival places equal emphasis on supporting artists from across the North East through commissions, exhibitions, open calls, professional development and ambitious public programming. During a moment when Middlesbrough will welcome visitors from across the UK and beyond, MAW26 ensures the spotlight also falls on the artists, organisations and communities that have shaped the town's cultural identity over the past decade.

Work in order of appearance:
Daisy Collingridge. Lean on me, (Burt and Hillary), 2021.
Alex Culshaw, film still, 2026.
Annabel McCourt, I’m Sorry, 2023.
Jeremy Deller, The Triumph of Art, 2025.
Liz Wilson, Of Confluence, 2023.
Katie Schwab, a cloud + a fence, photo by Alaa Satir, 2024.
Larry Achiampong, Sunday’s Best, installation view, 2016.
Lauren Godfrey, Pattern Portraits Kings Cross, photo by John Sturrock, 2020.
Andy Holden, Return of the Pyramid Piece (Video Still), 2008.
Izzie Beirne, This Is The Way We Brush Our Teeth, 2026.