Two spaces. One community. Endless possibility.
East Kemptown Village
The Lab — 80 St Georges Road, BN2 1EF
Central Brighton Seafront Arches
The Vault — 42–43 Kings Road Arches, BN1 2LN
OPEN CALL 2026: This Is My Brighton
A city told through the people who live it.
Join our artist-led community
- Membership Information
- Shared Studio and Window Gallery
- Hire the Vault Arches
Participation and Support
- Volunteering Opportunities
- Collectors, Patrons
- Local Businesses
We host artist-focused exhibitions, masterclasses, workshops, talks, and collaborative projects that spark social reflection, highlight diverse voices, and leave space for play and experimentation.
Subscribe to our News Letter
Mid Street Lab is an independent, artist-led organisation founded in 2022 by multidisciplinary artist JJ Wachter (MA, MBA). Rooted in Brighton’s Kemptown and now extending to the seafront through The Vault Arches, we create welcoming spaces where art, people and place can meaningfully connect.
Our mission is simple but transformative: to make quality contemporary art accessible, inclusive and life-enhancing. We believe art should not feel distant or reserved for a few. It should strengthen connection, encourage reflection and contribute positively to everyday life.
Through our Art That Connects model, we remove unnecessary barriers by providing free or affordable exhibition opportunities, production support, public visibility, professional development and fair routes to sales for emerging and underrepresented artists.
No unnecessary gatekeeping. No hidden costs. Just meaningful opportunities, genuine support and clearer creative pathways.
A little goes a long way. Your £5 helps keep our spaces open and creativity visible.
Community wellbeing sits at the heart of our work. Through positive imagery and thoughtful encounters with art, we create moments of joy, calm, conversation and belonging, bringing generations, cultures and different lived experiences together.At a time of cultural cuts and increasing social disconnection, we are building a resilient, artist-led creative ecosystem that recognises art as more than an object: a source of connection, care and shared possibility.
Keep the lights on, and the art connecting us. A fiver this month makes a real difference.
Kudos to our partners:
Afrori Books
Artist Open House
Black at Sussex
Brighton Fringe Festival
Brighton City Council
Dipol Print
Harwood Kings Printmakers
Photo Fringe Festival
The Querry
University of Sussex
The Upside Down House Brighton
The Seahorse Restaurant Brighton
Brighton Gin
The Sussex Peasant
Art Made For People
This summer at The Vault Arches, every exhibition begins with the same belief:Art isn’t complete until someone experiences it.
Our programme invites artists and visitors to slow down, look carefully and discover how contemporary art can become part of everyday life.Whether you’re visiting for five minutes or an hour, alone, with friends or with family, every exhibition has been curated as an invitation to connect—with ideas, with place and with one another.
Current ExhibitionDiscarded / Divine
by Jessie Astill
A joyful and thought-provoking exhibition transforming discarded everyday objects into colourful sculptural works.Inspired by Brighton’s coastline and community, the exhibition reminds us that beauty, hope and value can often be found where we least expect them.Expect surprise.
Expect conversation.
Expect a moment of calm.
Looking AheadThis Is My Brighton
This September we launch what we hope will become an annual celebration of Brighton’s creative identity.Artists are invited to submit work exploring the city they know, love and experience, from its people and streets to its hidden stories, communities and changing culture.The exhibition will help build a growing visual archive of Brighton through the eyes of the artists who live and work here.Open for submissions now.
More Than Exhibitions
At Wach’Art, we believe galleries can do more than display artwork.They can create conversations.Every exhibition is designed to encourage people to spend time with art, ask questions, meet artists and feel welcome, whether they’re lifelong collectors or walking into a gallery for the very first time.Alongside our exhibitions we are developing:
• free artist development opportunities
• community conversations
• workshops
• artist interviews and storytelling
• new ways for local people to support culture simply by participating.
Building Brighton’s Creative Commons
Our ambition is simple:To make contemporary art part of everyday life.By supporting artists, encouraging curiosity and making galleries genuinely welcoming, we’re helping build a healthier cultural ecosystem where creativity benefits everyone.We believe participation is the new patronage.Every visit, every conversation and every shared experience helps keep independent culture alive.
Open Call • Workshops • Events
Visit us throughout the summer to discover exhibitions, meet artists and explore upcoming opportunities including:This Is My Brighton Open CallArtist talksCreative workshopsCommunity eventsArtist development programme (launching 2027)
Thank you for helping keep independent contemporary art open, welcoming and connected to the community.
£5 this month will keep the lights on at The Lab and The Vault, and the doors open to everyone.
Thanks for your support.
