Contemporary Art Space in Horwich
Exhibitions | Workshops | Life Drawing | Artist Community
GALLERY OPENING TIMES: Friday & Saturday 12–4pm
when exhibitions are on.
Please consider subscribing for notifications of events as and when they are happening
Sunday through to Thursday are appointments only due to workshops being run
Next Exhibition Starts 12th June 2026
Open evening 7pm – 9pm
Exhibition continues for ONE WEEKEND only
Saturday 13th 12 noon – 4pm
Sunday 14th 12 Noon – 4pm
Visiting The Studio & Gallery
Our Location and Parking Info
Art Prints For Sale
coming soon
Artist In Residence
coming soon
The Story of BL6 Studios
BL6 Studios was established in 2013 by John Bentley and Julia Entwistle.
The intention was simple. John needed a dedicated space for his photography, and Julia needed a working studio for her romantic oil paintings. Rather than work separately, they chose to create a shared creative environment where both disciplines could exist side by side.
Over the years the studio has welcomed many artists who have come to work, exhibit, and collaborate within the space. Julia has hosted numerous workshops and small pop-up exhibitions, often dedicating an entire weekend to a single artist so visitors could spend time properly engaging with the work.
During this period John also began developing his distinctive art portrait work within the studio environment. His exploration of painterly portrait photography grew from this setting before later moving into Bolton town centre with Project22.
In 2023 John returned to BL6 Studios, bringing the work back to where it began.
Today John and Julia continue to run the space together, encouraging people to step into the creative environment and better understand the role artists play in shaping culture, conversation, and community.
BL6 Studios exists not simply as a place to show work, but as a place where artists and visitors can meet, talk, learn, and invest in the creative life that keeps our cultural landscape alive.
BL6 Studios
The Pumphouse Hampson Street Horwich Bolton BL6 7JH
Studio Access
BL6 Studios operates on an appointment-only basis unless an exhibition is taking place.
During exhibition periods, the studio and gallery are open to the public at specific times.
These dates and opening hours are always published on the website and shared via email in advance.
If you sign up to the mailing list, you will receive these updates regularly.
Typically every two weeks, and occasionally weekly when there are events, exhibitions or workshops running.
If you do happen to Subscribe to the emails, and find that you are getting too many, PLEASE just unsubscribe.
Marking us as SPAM will often damage the email subscriptions for the studios, and other subscribers.
THIS APPLIES TO ALL BUSINESSES NOT JUST OURS
Parking
Parking directly outside BL6 Studios on Hampson Street can be unpredictable.
On any given day, it could be completely empty or completely chock-a-block. There are a number of active businesses in the area, so spaces come and go throughout the day, and there are no designated parking bays for the studio.
There is usually parking on nearby streets including Wright Street, Julia Street, Lord Street, Peter Martin Street, Dickinson Street and Brady Street.
You may also find spaces on Hope Street, as well as Scholes Bank, Lee Lane and Lever Park Avenue, all within a short walk of the studio.
In most cases, you will find somewhere to park nearby. It may simply involve a short walk of around 150–200 yards.
If you are delivering or collecting artwork, we can usually accommodate short-term access directly outside the studio. You just need to let us know in advance so we can plan for your arrival.
So while you might not get a space right outside the door, you will get parked. It just depends whether you want immediate access or are happy with a brief walk.