Damien Hirst put £20,000 of his winnings on a free bar after his Turner Prize Win, The Spice Girls had their membership denied and Stephen Fry banned mobile phones in the bar.
These are just some of the famous tales surrounding The Groucho Club which will land in the heart of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2026.
Construction of the first branch of the private members-only club outside of London is underway as Yorkshire Post reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin asks what this will mean for Yorkshire?
These are just some of the famous tales surrounding The Groucho Club which will land in the heart of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2026.
Construction of the first branch of the private members-only club outside of London is underway as Yorkshire Post reporter Sophie Mei Lan Malin asks what this will mean for Yorkshire?
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00:00 Well there's lots of exciting things happening at the Sculpture Park. We're very excited with the
00:04 arrival of the Groucho Club coming to Wakefield. We're going to work very closely with them,
00:08 but it just kind of emphasizes the fantastic space we have at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
00:13 Over 500 acres, 90 plus sculptures, lots for people to do, a brand new little Wildwood for
00:19 the young people. We've got a summer pass coming up so people can access it free over the summer
00:24 for £50. Ever-changing exhibitions. It's kind of, yeah, it's a really exciting time for us at the
00:28 Sculpture Park, but you never know what's going to happen. So do come along and you'll discover
00:32 something new, a new exhibition in 10 years. And how do you see the Yorkshire Sculpture Park
00:37 developing over the years? So I think that's the great thing about it. It evolves organically. We
00:42 work with our visitors, we work with the local community. The local community help contribute
00:46 to what we want to do. We're always looking at brand new artists, up-and-coming artists.
00:50 There's a great exhibition moment in the Chapel by Leila, who's a rising star of the art scene,
00:56 so that's definitely worth checking out. So that's the exciting thing. You never quite know,
00:59 but it's always growing, always changing. It's a very exciting time to be. And we're very honoured
01:04 to have won the Tourist Award from the Yorkshire Post last year, and that just
01:08 emphasises what fantastic welfare we have here in West Yorkshire. Definitely. And there's a real
01:13 buzz around the Groucho Club coming. What will that mean for the area that you own around the club?
01:19 Yeah, so they're going to work very closely with us because they're right in the heart of the
01:23 Sculpture Park. And I think it's going to lift the whole region in terms of new people coming in
01:28 to Sculpture Park, to the region, wanting to stay, wanting to stay for the weekend and visit
01:32 different parts. Go to Leeds, come visit the Hepworth, etc. There's a real opportunity there
01:36 to make a weekend destination by coming to the Groucho Club, the Sculpture Park, and the whole
01:41 region. And then will there be a hotel as well? So yes, there's plans to be a hotel with 40
01:47 bedrooms. So as well as being the Groucho Club, it's also going to be open to the public. There'll
01:51 be a restaurant, etc. as well as opportunities for the public to stay there. Brilliant. And
01:56 where do you see the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in five years' time? So in three years' time,
02:02 we celebrate our 50th anniversary and that's a fantastic achievement. And I guess my plans,
02:06 our vision is to carry on, make sure we are Access Art for All, inspiring the next generation of
02:12 artists. So we have free access for under-18s and we want to make sure the next generation bring
02:17 their ideas, bring their thoughts, bring their families along to the Sculpture Park to inspire
02:21 the next generation. So I think the Sculpture Park is going to keep growing and keep changing over the years.
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