ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 

As the festival’s Artist In Residence for 2025, Cold War Steve, aka Birmingham-based artist Christopher Spencer, has unveiled a new piece of work that celebrates the people, landmarks and unsung heroes of Sheffield. 

 

The journey began with Cold War Steve putting out an open call to the public to send in their suggestions of who and what Inspires them about Sheffield. And the response was huge. The final work is made up of Sheffield legends such as John Burkhill – aka The Man With Pram, iconic landmarks from across the city and famous names from the worlds of music, TV, Sport and history. 

 

The work also features locals who were suggested for their inspiring work in the city. These include the director of Dig Where You Stand Désirée Reynolds, the artist development collective Slambarz and local all-female identifying choir Neighbourhood Voices.

 

The title of the work is ‘Sheffield – It’s Alright.’.  It comes from the late Steve Mackey of Pulp, who once described how people in Sheffield downplay things compared to other cities. To describe something that you really love would be to say something’s “alright.” And while this tendency still exists, it doesn’t stop it from being an inspiring, pioneering city on the world stage.

 

The work would not have been possible without the support of the Sheffield Inspires campaign. 

 

While a physical copy of the work will be on display in Peddler Warehouse this weekend at the festival, a free digital copy has been made available below.