IOU50 – a two-year programme celebrating IOU’s pioneering legacy in experimental art and 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.

The programme culminates in a major exhibition that brings together archives, new commissions and contemporary practice, celebrating IOU’s legacy while confirming what comes next.

Past. Present. Future. IOU50

Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Dean Clough, Calderdale Council, and the Community Foundation for Calderdale.