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Rochdale Development Agency, in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, has opened Richard Street Studios, a new creative space forming part of the ambitious plans to support the development of the boroughs creative and cultural sector. Located by Rochdale train station, Richard Street Studios officially launched in April 2024, and offers an exciting range of creative workspaces tailored to the needs of Rochdale’s growing art and creative business community. With 7 studios, the space caters to both digital and messier creative disciplines, perfect for art, photography and scriptwriting, to sewing and design, providing the ideal blank canvas for studio workshops, events, showcases and small exhibitions.
The workspaces is let by lead tenant and local creative organisation Breaking Barriers, who manage the space and run artist development programmes to support the wider creative sector. The model forms part of the Rochdale Borough Council’s commitment to the ‘Community Wealth Building’ model, which seeks to support and empower local organisations to run local services.
The studios are part of the innovative ‘Rochdale Creates Space’ project, which is seeking to repurpose vacant properties to support the borough’s creative sector as part of a developing creative district within Rochdale town centre.
This is accompanied by the boroughs cross-sector initiative to support creativity and culture across Rochdale borough ‘Rochdale Creates’, which includes a range of business support programmes, talent development and commission opportunities.
The project has been managed by Rochdale Development Agency on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council. The works have been completed by Rochdale based building contractors H Bell and Sons, with Ian Tunnicliffe as Contract Administrator and Principle Designer.
In line with the boroughs commitment to achieving net-zero by 2038, the studios have undergone an intensive retrofit designed to minimise operational carbon emissions. This has included upgrading of floor, wall and roof insulation, the installation of air source heat pumps, and new LED lighting throughout. This much reduced energy demand is sourced from renewable tariffs.
With a range of tenancy options, including flexible space for daily hire, Creatives in the borough are being encouraged to register expressions of interest for the hiring of space through the Richard Street Studio website.
In addition to Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency, Rochdale Creates Space is supported by the European Regional Development Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Funding, and the Cultural Development Fund administered by Arts Council England.
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