Jean Jules Wachter talks about Mid Street Lab’s new venture – the Vault
Hi Jean. The Vault is a new venture for Mid Street Lab – would you like to tell us a bit about it and how it came into being?
Absolutely. The Vault came out of necessity and urgency. Mid Street Lab started in Kemptown as a small experimental space, a kind of creative refuge where emerging and underrepresented artists could develop their work without the fear of high costs or gatekeeping. Over the last two years, we saw how much need there was: artists juggling childcare, caregiving, disability, survival jobs, yet still desperate for somewhere to show, grow, and connect.
The Vault was our response to that. It’s a more public-facing, professional gallery on the seafront, created to give local artists proper visibility, not just development space. We didn’t open it because it was easy; we opened it because if independent art spaces don’t step in now, Brighton risks losing the very people who make the city creative.
Does its mission differ from the Kemptown gallery?
The two spaces share the same heart, but they serve different roles in the ecosystem.
The Lab in Kemptown is about process: experimentation, community, wellbeing, learning, and play. It’s where artists come to restart their practice, build confidence, try something new, or simply belong.
The Vault on the seafront is about visibility: showing the work, meeting new audiences, attracting collectors, and placing local artists in a more professional spotlight.
Think of The Lab as the root system and The Vault as the canopy, one grows the work, the other shows it to the world. Together, they create continuity in a creative life that is often full of interruptions.
Your current exhibition is themed ‘Roots and Routes’; would you like to tell us about the ideas and interpretations behind this?
‘Roots and Routes’ came from conversations with artists about belonging, where we come from, how we move through the world, and the paths that bring us to Brighton.
The theme explores both:
Roots: heritage, memory, identity, family, soil, home
Routes: migration, movement, transitions, detours, change
For many artists in the show, the journey wasn’t linear, it was shaped by class, geography, caregiving, trauma, queerness, disability, displacement, or simply the realities of modern life. The exhibition reflects that richness. It celebrates Brighton as a place where all those paths intersect, collide, and transform into new creative stories.
How were the artists for the show selected?
Our curatorial team used an open approach grounded in accessibility and fairness.
Artists submitted work, we had 57 submissions, and we reviewed all of them based on:
- how they spoke to the theme
- diversity of interpretation and voice
- a balance of emerging and more established practice
- and the ability to create a coherent but dynamic exhibition
We don’t prioritise CVs or status or visual impact. We prioritise honesty, connection, and artistic intention.
We also used a data-informed selection method, which we’ve refined over the years as we expand to avoid bias and widen representation. It has become a core part of how Mid Street Lab operates.
What are you hoping Open House visitors will take away from the exhibition?
Three things:
- A sense of connection. That feeling of recognising yourself, your family, your journey, even in someone else’s story.
- An appreciation for local talent. Brighton is full of extraordinary artists who deserve visibility, not just during festivals but year-round.
- A renewed belief in independent creative spaces. Spaces like ours aren’t corporate or commercial. They exist because communities choose to care for one another.
If visitors leave thinking, “This is worth protecting,” then we’ve done our job.
What plans do you have for the future?
2026 will be a big year for us.
We’re consolidating partnerships with socially engaged organisations (The Querry, BARCO, SAES, Social Circle, Encounter Wellness), expanding Flow Mode for artist development, and strengthening our patron and membership programmes so we can keep access affordable.
Artists Open Houses has been a huge milestone. With The Vault now fully active, we plan to run a balanced programme of:
- Year round exhibition program
- Artist Collaborative Projects
- Artist Workshops (skills)
- Marketing & Admin knowledge Hub
- Collaborations with Brighton Dome, Fringe and city festivals
Everything we do builds the creative resilience of Brighton’s local artists.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Yes, independent art spaces like ours were not “supposed” to exist in the current economic climate. But they do, because artists, neighbours, volunteers, and partners believe that creativity is something worth organising for.
We hold space, because if we don’t, Brighton loses something irreplaceable.
So, whether you’re an artist, a collector, a neighbour, or simply curious:
Come and see us.
Come and support local art.
Come and help keep independent creativity alive in Brighton.
And of course, The Vault is Venue 17 in the Winter Artists Open Houses brochure. Open 11-5pm Thursday to Monday. We’d love to welcome you.
Visit: The Vault – Winter Art Salon
42-43 King Roads Arches, Brighton, BN1 2LN
Website: www.midstreetlab.com/whats-on/the-arches-vaut
Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_vault_brighton_art_salon/
View: Roots & Routes Video Youtube
View: Roots & Routes Digital Brochure
View: Our Newsletter
View: Artist Membership
View: Volunteering
