About Us
Find out more about The Artery & meet the team
About The Artery Studios CIC
We are a community-focused arts venue in Worcester providing affordable creative spaces and opportunities for local artists, makers and the wider community.
We have three unique spaces:
Arch 28 is our exhibition and workshop space, hosting exhibitions, creative workshops, events and community activities throughout the year.
Arch 29 is home to our affordable artist studios, providing local creatives with dedicated space to work, develop their practice and connect with other artists.
The Tuck Shop in Arch 64 is our new versatile creative space, offering a flexible venue for artists, makers, businesses and community groups to run events, exhibitions, markets and creative projects.
All of our spaces are available for hire, and we offer a wide range of creative events and opportunities throughout the year. From our annual flagship Worcester 100 Open Call Exhibition and the Scooby Doodle community drawing event, to creative workshops, markets, artist showcases and social events, we’re passionate about creating opportunities for people to get involved, try something new and share their creativity.
At the heart of The Artery is our community. We want to make art and creativity accessible, support local artists and provide a welcoming space where people can meet, collaborate, learn and make things happen.
Where it all Started
We opened the doors to the Artery Studios CIC in September 2022 under two converted railway arches in the heart of the city. We wanted to provide affordable art space for artists in Worcester and get the community creating together. We started to fill our studios with artists and a couple of months later our gallery was open and workshops were in full swing.
We were seeing people connecting in our space, making friends and artists working together. It was beautiful and we've not looked back since.
The Artery isn't ours. Its theirs, it's yours. It's everyone's. It's more than a place, we're a community, a safe house and a creative hot spot in a city that is starting to show its true personality.
We've worked with hundreds of local artists and seen thousands of visitors of all ages and backgrounds attending workshops, visiting exhibitions and taking part in community events.
Worcester is packed full of amazing creative talent and we're lucky enough to see the very best of it, to be part of it. to encourage and support it.
We continue to grow everyday, providing more opportunities for artists to show, create and sell their work. To collaborate with each other, learn and share their expertise. February 2026 sees the launch of our brand new pop-up creative space in Arch 64.
We're excited for the future but it is also uncertain.
We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) If you would like to support us you can make a donation by clicking here. Thank you for your support.
Meet the team
ADAM BEST - FOUNDER
With a background in teaching and a lifelong love of making and creative projects, Adam is passionate about creating opportunities for people to get involved with art, whether that’s through exhibitions, workshops, studio spaces or simply having a go at something new.
Adam is the driving force behind Worcester 100, The Artery’s annual open-call exhibition celebrating the incredible range of creative talent in the city and beyond.
At the heart of everything Adam does is a belief that art should be accessible to everyone. He is passionate about building The Artery into a welcoming, supportive organisation where artists can thrive and everyone feels able to be creative.
ANNA BEST - FOUNDER
Anna Best, aka Chalk It Up, is a mural artist whose colourful, characterful work can be found across Worcester. With a love of bold design, playful imagery and bringing spaces to life, Anna creates murals that brighten up both public and private spaces.
Alongside her mural work, Anna is passionate about sharing her creativity with others and encouraging people to experiment with different artistic techniques.
Anna is one of the artists behind our Sketchbook Club, bringing her experience, energy and love of making to The Artery Studios community.
JOSHUA ROUSE - Director, Studio Manager, sign painter extraordinaire
Joshua Rouse is the studio manager at The Artery Studios, a sign painter, artist and all-round creative who seems to be able to turn his hand to just about anything.
He’s very much the face of The Artery and you’ll probably recognise him from our socials, where his infectious enthusiasm, humour and creativity are hard to miss.
Best known for his hand-painted signs, Joshua is also the creative force behind some of The Artery’s most popular workshops, including Paint Along with Bob Rouse, Paint & Sip and our new Paint Yer Mate sessions.
There’s very little Joshua won’t have a go at, and he brings the same energy and enthusiasm to everything he does. More importantly, you’ll struggle to meet a nicer person. He’s a huge part of what makes The Artery such a welcoming, friendly and fun place to be.
YASMIN AGILAH - Director, artist, educator, beautiful human
Yasmin Agilah is an exceptional art educator, artist and passionate advocate for The Artery Studios and the arts.
Yasmin brings an incredible amount of energy, knowledge and enthusiasm to everything she does. She genuinely believes in the power of art to connect people, build confidence and give everyone a chance to have their voice heard.
A huge supporter of The Artery from the very beginning, Yasmin is regularly involved in exhibitions, events and creative projects, championing both the organisation and the artists and communities we work with.
She is passionate, generous and endlessly encouraging — the kind of person who gets completely behind an idea and helps make it happen. We’re incredibly lucky to have her as part of The Artery community.