Making Space

Tom Potter from Space Studios has contacted us to let us and you know that they will be holding viewing sessions for anyone interested in procuring studios space on Tuesday 23rd (6pm only) and Tues and Tuesday 30th at 12am midday and 6pm. If you are interested in having a look around please contact Tom at tompotter1@gmail.com for an invite.

Have a read below and take a look at the poster.

What’s it all about?

Overview:
Space Studios will consist of 16 Artists Studios and 2 large rentable spaces. The idea is to create a buzzing and diverse creative environment where people can work, interact, share ideas, have meetings, and get creative!

Creative Group Spaces:
Along with the 16 resident artists (no agenda – selected on the basis of creative diversity and energy…) the 2 rentable spaces will be available for rental for any kind of creative activity. The idea is to provide a blank canvass for creative groups to project their energy onto, and we will see what it looks like…. but some ideas are: private views / set building / theatre rehearsals / yoga, thai chi classes etc on the first floor, and life drawing classes / creative group meetings / media presentations etc on the third floor.

Residents Hub and Roof Terrace:
When not rented out, the large room on the third floor will be available for residents and their friends to chill out, have a cup of tea, meet each other, and bounce ideas around. It is a great space which leads to a fantastic roof terrace which adds a great dimension to the whole building.

The vibe:
The building is a red brick warehouse type construction with eight rooms in total over three floors, high ceilings, loads of lovely sash windows and natural light: it is a great space for a studio – please come along to find out for yourself!

Where are the studios?
The location is Swan Lane, just off Bedford Street (near Franks Bar / Bedfords / Karma Cafe). From Jarrolds, go down Bedford Street, past Franks Bar and turn right just after Bedfords. You will see a large black metal gate on your left opposite the Fabric Warehouse shop – this is the entrance.

How is the access?
The studios are located on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the access and the age of the building, the building is not suitable for disabled people or people who have limited mobility. There are quite a lot of stairs.

Should I bring anything on the day?
Please bring a pen and pad so you can note down which of the spaces you may be interested in. You may like to bring a camera to take some photos as a reminder of the spaces.

How can I register my interest?
After the open day, please email me with details of the particular studio spaces you are interested in. If more than one person wants the same space, I will have to make a decision based on having the maximum creative diversity and use of the building.

When can I move in?
There are 11 studio spaces on the 2nd floor, which are not quite ready to rent, but are ready for viewings. I hope to have these spaces ready to rent by the middle to the end of November, and I am hoping to sign people up in the next few weeks, ready for renting as soon as the studios are completed. There will be an additional 5 studios on the first floor, which will not be ready till the end of November at the earliest.

What type of contract will there be?
The legal Aspect of renting the studios will be a Licence which is a simple agreement providing a one month rolling contract. This means people need only give one month’s notice if they wish to leave.

How can I secure a studio?
If you do decide you want to reserve a studio, I will take a one month deposit which secures your space. Then once the studios are ready, the first month’s rent will be payable when people move in. Rental payments will be monthly any by direct debit / standing order only (bank to bank).

How much privacy is there?
There are 3 rooms of studios on the 2nd floor: Room 1 has six studios, room 2 has three, and room 3 has two. Whilst we have erected simple partitions, we have not completely closed off the spaces, so as to allow light and air to fill the rooms, and to create (I hope) a sense of privacy but not complete separateness.

Are there lockable doors?
Only the two largest studios in room 3 have their own lockable doors. However, we have designed the spaces so lockable doors could be added to all spaces if people require this. An alternative would be to have a lockable box where valuables could be kept.

What are the charges and sizes?
There are various sizes of studios priced at £20, £25, £27.50, £35, £40, £50 and £55 per week.
The sizes of the studios are approx 6.5 square metres for the smallest (£20 per week), up to approx 17 square metres for the biggest and most private (£55 per week).

Would shared use be OK?
I am more than happy for people to share a studio with a friend: in fact I really would like the building to be in use as much as possible so if your needs / hours are only part time, this is encouraged. However, only one person’s name can be on the Licence: so one person would need to take responsibility for the rent in this eventuality.

Are bills included?
Each studio will have it’s own electric supply, which will power the lights and sockets in that space. These will use a ‘card meter’ system, so each person will pay for their electricity cards in advance. In this way each person will have individual control over their power consumption, which I hope is a fair and ecologically responsible way to manage this.

Is there a sink and water?
Yes! Each floor will have a communal area with a sink, kettle, microwave and storage cupboards for cups etc. This is so you can make a cup of tea, and also wash any brushes or materials.

Renovation works:
Please be aware that we will be working on the first floor and third floor for a few weeks after we rent out the second floor studios.

Creative Space Rentals:
The hope is for the building to be a vibrant communal arts space; so there will from time to time be diverse groups doing interesting things on the first and second floors.

How much noise can we make?
We will aim for keeping the building quiet and calm from 8am – 6pm, and will try not to have noisy groups during these times. However, we would like everyone to feel free to make some noise / play music etc after 8pm (so long as we do not upset folks outside). There may also be noisy group rentals in the evenings.

When can I access my studio?
We have permission for 24 hour access: and as long as people are respectful, we would like to offer this. However, we will reserve the right to cancel our Licence agreement with anyone who repeatedly causes a nuisance late at night.