Fine art student Ella Brereton creates site-responsive installation at Sunny Bank Mills

On display at Sunny Bank Mills earlier this year, site-responsive installation ‘As the Mill Rests’ was inspired by the rich history of the textiles mill.

Created by final year BA Fine Art with Contemporary Cultural Theory student Ella Brereton, the installation weaved within the historic architecture of the Mill’s loft, reinterpreting the industrial rhythms of the loft’s past through sculptural forms.

A site-responsive process, As the Mill Rests used materials to represent the historic space within a contemporary context, holding space between industry and stillness, memory and material.

Ella Brereton, As the Mill Rests, 2026. Spinning Loft, Sunny Bank Mills. Photo courtesy of the artist.

With a background in painting, Ella Brereton's practice explores alternative ways of creating and presenting form, drawing on methods of composition that extends across surface and structure.

The initial inspiration for Ella's work is often site-responsive, drawing from the architectural integrity of her studio space using latex, muslin cloth and steel. Latex enables Ella to preserve both the texture and motion of a space. In doing so, it bridges her painting and sculptural practices, carrying the same sense of gesture into physical form.

Centred on material memory, Ella aims to embody the essence of a space through materials that echo its surface while taking on a new form.

Artist Ella Brereton with As the Mill Rests at Sunny Bank Mills, February 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.

Ella had been searching for industrial spaces in Leeds to develop and showcase her work. Having been selected for this year’s Ones to Watch exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills, she became interested in the history of the building and discovered the Mill’s spinning loft as a tremendous opportunity to work site-specifically. Ella said:

“My time in Sunny Bank Mills’ spinning loft provided a unique opportunity to engage with a location rich in cultural heritage and Northern industrial identity.

“I first saw the space in January, following a visit with friends to see my work in Ones to Watch. The team at Sunny Bank Mills were keen to encourage more student involvement with the mill and kindly agreed to let me use the space.

“While we didn't originally plan for it, we later decided to open the space to the public for one day to showcase the work. I’m so glad we did; it sparked so many fascinating conversations regarding people’s perceptions and personal stories of the mill.

Ella Brereton's ‘Wool Iterations’ at As the Mill Rests, Sunny Bank Mills, February 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.

“After confirming the dates, I spent several weeks researching the mill's history. I visited the Sunny Bank Mills archives to immerse myself in its incredible legacy, taking notes on original textiles, wool and dyeing methods so I could replicate them in my installation.

“Following a few site visits to take photos and measurements, I built a large hanging structure in my studio and gathered supplemental materials. I also travelled to the Bradford Industrial Museum to record the sounds of original machinery from Northern industrial mills. I even returned to my hometown, where I was kindly gifted sheep fleece from the beautiful Upper Spernall Farm.

“The installation was developed over a three-day period within the spinning loft, drawing inspiration from the origins of the textile processes that once occupied the space. I began the install on 17 February, with the show opening on the 20th.

“The process was incredibly intuitive; many of the sculptures were created using elements found within the space, such as an old ladder and some Chinese tea boxes. Ultimately, the installation became a catalyst for visitors to share what the space truly means to them.

‘SACKS’ by Ella Brereton, As the Mill Rests at Sunny Bank Mills, February 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.

“As the Mill Rests was conceived using many of the core materials once used in cloth production at the mill. Coal sacks were suspended within the alcoves of the room, while floor drawings composed of fragmented coal were arranged beneath the overhead hanging structure.

“Following research into the original in-house dyeing methods used at Sunny Bank Mills, these techniques were reflected in cotton, which was displayed on a ladder found in the space and supported using ceiling debris that had fallen from the roof.

“Wool was a central element of the installation, used to intervene within the spatial complexities of the loft. Large tea boxes were filled with fleece, accompanied by original sound recordings of machinery from the Bradford Industrial Museum.

“Overhead, a large draping structure was created from cloth, with elements coated in latex and suspended around the beams, echoing the architectural integrity of the space.

Exhibition visitor taking coal rubbings, As the Mill Rests, Sunny Bank Mills, February 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.

“Visitors to the exhibition were invited to take coal rubbings of elements they found most interesting about the space, as many participants shared stories and ideas reflecting on the imagined past of the loft. 

“As the sun set through the windows, visitors moved among the beams, bringing the space to life once more.”

A visitor interacts with As the Mill Rests, a site specific installation by Ella Brereton at the Spinning Loft, Sunny Bank Mills in 2026. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Last year, Ella took on a role as Exhibition Assistant for the Bradford Art Show, part of OUR TURN, a new visual arts festival for Bradford. Ella joined the team through a volunteering opportunity developed as part of the ongoing partnership between Bradford 2025 and the University of Leeds.

Bradford Art Show was a celebration of the district’s vibrant and diverse visual arts and was curated from an open call responding to the theme of ‘our place’. The exhibition ran over a couple of weeks in December 2025 at Loading Bay, a pop-up venue created for Bradford 2025 in the heart of the city.

Over the space of three months, Ella worked alongside show curator Dr Kerry Harker, producer Alison McIntyre and 105 Bradford artists, gaining valuable experience in curating, exhibition design and audience engagement – all crucial skills put to use in creating As the Mill Rests in February.

Ella Brereton at the Bradford Art Show (Loading Bay, Bradford) in December 2025. Photo © Cultural Institute.

Curator and fine art alumna Kerry Harker is currently the Bridget Riley Art Foundation Fellow at the University of Leeds.  Kerry said:

“It's wonderful to see Ella going from strength to strength this year after working with her in 2025 when she volunteered with me and Alison McIntyre during our work as Curator and Producer of the Bradford Art Show.

“Ella's recent installation As the Mill Rests was an elegant and sensitive intervention into the loft space of the Spinning Mill and, with her inclusion in Ones to Watch, was further evidence of her growing confidence in her voice as an artist.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next!”

‘Extended Held by Wall’ and ‘In the Join’ by artist Ella Brereton in Ones to Watch 2026 at Sunny Bank Mills Gallery. Photo by Harry Meadley.

Two of Ella’s works – Extended Held by Wall and In the Join – were selected for the Ones to Watch 2026 exhibition which took place at Sunny Bank Mills earlier this year.

More of Ella Brereton’s work will be showcased in her final year fine art degree show alongside the wider cohort of fine artist students coming to the end of their course at the University of Leeds. HOLD is curated and produced by the students – find out more about the show and the artists taking part.

More information

Follow Ella Brereton on Instagram @brere.tonella to find out more about her art practice.

Feature image

Ella Brereton, As the Mill Rests, 2026. Site-responsive installation in Sunny Bank Mills' Spinning Loft. Photo courtesy of the artist.