A studio in the community

I’ve been meaning to launch a website for 15 months now, luckily, work has been busy and so this was always lower down the to-do list! So here it is, along with a lovely new office in the community…

Around May 2024, I was walking our dog, Poppy, around Bolton upon Dearne (Rotherham, South Yorkshire). I passed a lovely old primary school that was being renovated. Gorgeous red brick, big windows, slate roof… the thought crossed my mind it would be a lovely place to work. I saw a sign saying ‘The Renaissance Centre’ and thought I’d get in touch on the off chance that this was going to be a work space rather than a primary school.

It turns out it’s a community centre and they’d secured £1M from Barnsley Council as part of the Council’s Principal Towns and Local Centres programme. They did have some office type spaces available but they were keen that anyone coming in was creative and engaged members of the public in their work. You might say I had a lightbulb moment.

A creative, people centred, design research studio in a community centre!?

I can’t say I’ve ever seen that before, and where better to be placed!?

The Renaissance Centre is now open and offering craft, fitness and other community groups regularly, there’s even a Tea Room!

There are several beautiful rooms and halls (with original parquet flooring!) that can be rented for groups. I aim to run research workshops from the centre, whether that be engaging existing groups in projects or setting up my own groups to engage different communities in co-design work. You may know a little bit about my other ventures, such as Sage Silver Jewellery and Pawtraits, and I can see myself running jewellery and illustration workshops to give back to the local community and make new connections.

It’s all very exciting so I wanted to share this with whoever might be reading, maybe I’ll see you at the centre one day!