Wolverhampton Art Gallery wants to hear from residents about their hobbies; from the arty to the techy, the nerdy to the super niche. Whether it is made, modified, collected or crafted; the city’s gallery wants to know about it.
It is an opportunity for the public to take part in Come As You Really Are, the largest ever exhibition of the UK’s hobbies. From makers and modifiers to crafters and collectors, Wolverhampton Art Gallery are working alongside Artangel and award-winning artist and Spider-Man enthusiast Hetain Patel to invite audiences to exhibit their hobbies in an exhibition at the gallery from 12 July to 5 October 2025.
The exhibition will bring together objects created, modified or collected by Midland- based hobbyists, alongside contributions from people across the UK and a new artist film by Patel. Each hobby represents a decision to commit valuable time to living life on one’s own terms in a society dominated by consumerism. On display will be hundreds of unique hand-crafted objects loaned by hobbyists of any discipline, such as costume and cosplay makers, crocheters and knitters, wood carvers and model makers, ceramicists, robotics engineers, origami specialists, augmented car enthusiasts and many more.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: “The joy of hobbies lies in their power to bring people together while celebrating individuality. Come As You Really Are is a unique opportunity to spotlight the incredible creativity and dedication of hobbyists in Wolverhampton, the Midlands and beyond. From cosplay to ceramics, every object tells a story of passion, perseverance, and self-expression.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Hetain Patel and Artangel to showcase these hidden talents and invite the public to share their own creations in this celebration of living life on one’s own terms. This exhibition promises to be as diverse and inspiring as the communities it represents.”
Hetain Patel said: “I’ve always been obsessed by handmade things. Growing up in Bolton, in a working class culturally Indian household, we ate with our hands, and many of my relatives worked as part of the manual labour force in local factories. The empowering thing about hobbies is choice and doing something on our own terms. The creative act is really hopeful with huge benefits to us individually and something that connects us to others regardless of our differences.”
For the chance to be a part of the upcoming exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery and to find out more information visit www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/aacallout/. It only takes a couple of minutes and all you need is a picture or two from your phone.
To be eligible, respondents must be based in the UK and self-identify as a hobbyist. The Wolverhampton exhibition aims to showcase hobbies across the Midlands region. By hobbyist we mean someone who engages with an activity on an ongoing basis. This might be daily, weekly or a couple of times a year.
People may have many different ideas of what constitutes a hobby. On the form you will see a very comprehensive list of hobbies. Some are object-based in that they result in the creation of an object e.g. knitting or woodworking. Others might be more ephemeral, such as skateboarding or gardening. All are eligible for the project. If a hobby is not on the list, respondents will be able to add it to the database by clicking, ‘my hobby isn’t in this list’ and typing it in when prompted.
Hobbyists have until 30 March, 2025 to submit their hobbies for a chance to be part of the exhibition. Come As Your Really Are will open from Saturday 12 July until Sunday 5 October 2025. The exhibition is free to the public. Wolverhampton Art Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 4.30pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. For more information, please visit www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk.
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