IOU Archive & Timeline

IOU50 - Creating a living archive of 50 years of experimental practice, inspiring new artistic work and future collaboration.

IOU50 launches a two-year programme celebrating IOU’s pioneering legacy in experimental art and alternative performance, while acting as a springboard for the future of the IOU Creation Centre, a place where artists collaborate, experiment and present new work.

At the heart of the programme is the creation of the IOU Archive: a new physical and digital resource bringing together materials, props, films and images that document the origins and evolution of IOU and its founding artists.

Over the next two years, IOU Labs will commission contemporary artists to respond to the archive, using it as a catalyst to generate ambitious new work across multiple disciplines, spanning art, performance, engineering, technology and environment.

The archive will function as a living space for past, present and future productions, activating stories and memories from artists and audiences through workshops that capture the lived experiences of those connected to IOU.

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Timeline

With nearly half a century experience creating original productions, IOU has a varied and wonderful history. Use our timeline to scroll back through the years and explore the project archives. 

Past Productions

Our diverse body of work spans sound and light installations, experimental site-specific shows, online galleries, visual art exhibitions, 360 films, and large-scale contemporary sculptures. Delve into our rich history of creative innovation and see how IOU has historically pushed the boundaries of contemporary art.

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News

Keep up to date with all our news, events, workshops, retreats and commisions - at the IOU Creation Centre, Dean Clough Halifax and the IOU Hostel Hebden Bridge.

Creating the Archive

Currently in the studio - Artist & IOU50 PhD Researcher Anna. Anna is embedded with us for her PhD with University of Huddersfield. Her research dives into the incredible range of materials held in our studio and shared by past artists and partners — from costumes and props to journals, production logs, press cuttings, films and audio recordings.