People, Place and Porosity: 15 Years of Small Acts

Celebrating 15 years of Small Acts, artist duo Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighetti invite you to Crowd of Favours for a performance-led talk exploring the relationship between people, place and artistic intervention. Using objects, images and souvenirs from previous projects, Small Acts will dive into what feeds their imagination and sparks new connections. They will demonstrate how artists and creative practitioners can invite participation in their work and pose the question: how can small acts make a big difference? 2026 is a special moment for both Compass and Small Acts. During the first Compass Festival in 2011, Katie and Simon spent a freezing November day on Leeds Bridge, transferring views, textures and details of the bridge onto the hands of passersby. This small intimate act blurred the edges between street and skin, and was the beginning of an artistic collaboration between Etheridge and Persighetti that grew into Small Acts. 15 years on, Small Acts reflects on the role that Leeds and Compass Live Art have played in the development of their socially engaged practice, and explores some of the projects and relationships that have emerged from this enduring collaboration with Leeds and the people who call this city home.