I changed my mind about going to the concert in the end – it was at 8pm and when I realised exactly how tired I was, I was tucked up by 7pm ☺️ Before I turned in, knowing full well I needed some creative inspiration, I booked a ticket to see this year’s Turner Prize at Cartwright Hall in Bradford, less than an hour away.

I arrived early since I wanted to walk around the grounds surrounding the Hall. It was a quiet Tuesday and the park was a gem. It even had a lake and small botanic gardens. Geese and grey squirrels were fearless – it must get really busy on a weekend.

I was irresistibly drawn to the water gardens

which were peaceful and relaxing. I sat on a bench in the sun and felt myself get warm again.

I had a coffee in the downstairs cafe before entering the main building. Cartwright Hall is very impressive and reassuringly old. Anish Kapoor’s familiar mirrored egg offered a reflective welcome at the main entrance.

Volunteers handed out leaflets containing useful insights about each of the 4 artists. They helpfully suggested options on navigating the exhibition and pointed out the videos introducing the artists and their work.

I decided to start with art, namely a flag and a collection of dolls and photographs by Rene Matić. I didn’t really get it and found the doll cupboard quite creepy. (No photos, sorry). I went back into the foyer and watched a short video about them. I was still flummoxed and only when I got home and did some research did I get the gist of Rene.

I decided to watch the next video about Mohammed Sami before experiencing his work. An Iraqi artist based in London, he was an artist in the more traditional sense. The video showed him hanging and priming his canvas. No team of assistants here. The paintings were powerful and had an anonymity and a touch of the impersonal despite being highly emotive. There were eerie scenes of conflict and devastation and ambiguous titles left much to the interpretation of the visitor.

Next was Nnena Kalu. Her works reminded me of Joana Vasconcelos’ Valkyrie. Big piñata style figures wrapped in thick layers of multicoloured tape hung from the ceiling. Her obsessive drawings of vortexes were compelling and looked as though they’d been done in an intense Spirograph session.

To complete my art circuit, I returned downstairs to see Zadie Xa’s work. I can be easily pleased when it comes to art and I did go a bit gooey when I walked into the room, which was like a tranquil holographic disco of rainbow colours, mysterious figures, shells, bells, and whales, with a discreet audio accompaniment. There was even a reflective gold floor. I loved her fabric patchworks which reminded me of brightly coloured stain glass windows. I found her work spiritual and quite moving.

Is there a clear winner? Not in my mind and I’ll be intrigued to find out who will take this year’s title. £25,000 will come in handy but even as a runner up, consolation prizes of £10,000 will ease any pain from not seizing the prestigious first prize.

Runs until 22 February 2026. Well worth a visit.