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Presentation from David Cook (Wasps Studios) about South Block at the Creative Spaces//Creative Cities event in Inverness on 18th June 2014 hosted by IOTA (Inverness Old Town Art). David Cook is the Chief Exective of Wasps Studios. A social entrepreneur who specialises in culture-led regeneration, particularly devising and delivering cultural capital projects. David has over 25 years experience in property management and development. He has led many other cultural, heritage and other third sector organisations at board level. Wasps Studios has become one of the UK’s largest studio providers. Wasps spaces are currently inhabited by over 800 visual artists, 23 arts charities and 40 creative companies at 17 sites from the Scottish Borders to the Shetland Islands. www.waspsstudios.org.uk Twitter @waspsstudios South Block is a 50,000 sq.ft, four storey studio complex in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant City and winner of the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland 2013. Developed by Wasps Studios and designed by award-winning architects, NORD, there are 96 studios in total for visual and applied artists, cultural social enterprises and creative businesses. www.southblock.co.uk Twitter @SouthBlockSpace
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Social Cities 18th June 2014
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesise new things.” Steve Jobs
• Support + nurture Scotland’s creative people • Affordable workspace for arts community • Redevelop unused/forgotten buildings • Connect with surrounding communities • Help other arts organisations achieve their aims • Collaborate with and support other artforms • New markets: creative industry offices
What we do….
Scalloway, Shetland
Nairn
Aberdeen (2 buildings)
Irvine
Paisley
Glasgow (5 buildings)
Selkirk
Edinburgh (4 buildings)
Dundee
Newburgh
Kirkcudbright
Our Studio Locations….
Braes, Skye
• c. 5,000 sqm gross
• 65 artists & makers studios
• 26 creative industry workspaces
• 7 cultural social enterprise offices
• 220 creative people
• 100% let
• Income subsidises all charitable arts activity
“South Block has fast established itself as Scotland's creative hub - our clients recognise this and we in turn have benefitted from the kudos” Daniel Freytag, BERG "South Block has proved a fantastic base from which to grow our architecture practice. The building addresses the need for small/start-up businesses to find quality, affordable space within the city centre” Matt McKenna, Dress for the Weather "South Block acts as a creative catalyst for those within it and offers a great, professional environment to bring clients and collaborators" Greig Anderson, Effektive “To come up with the most innovative creative solutions, the workplace setting has to be right and to me, South Block offers some ideal attributes – spaciousness, great light and fantastic character” Keith Forbes, Good Creative
South Block – Creative Industry
• 90% are more ‘connected into creative community’ • 85% have made new contacts • 80% collaborated with other businesses • 65% increased in turnover • 40% set up business within last 3 years
South Block Artists’ feedback
• 88% - “makes me feel part of a wider creative community” • Two thirds - “raises my professional profile” • Over half “gives more opportunity for peer support” • Half “gets my work seen by a wider audience” • 42% encourages me to collaborate with other artists • Over a third – “gives opportunities to share materials /
equipment”
INVERNESS – Potential for creative spaces?
• Existing networks and new connections • How large is the creative community • Location of an appropriate building • What mix of creative practitioners is most useful • What additional facilities should be considered
www.waspsstudios.org.uk
