Today I visited the Market Place Studios in Stockport. After a mysterious postcard advertising the space was left with my work during the last assessment I was curious to find out more, and my trip to Stockport did not disappoint.
Fortunately I have been to Stockport a few times now, usually to update my wardrobe by purchasing a few goodies from the The Vintage Market held the first Sunday of every month. During Unit X: College 1 we were taught workshops in Stockport that were led by Claire Knox-Bentham who is one of the pioneers behind the Stockport Studios.
Manchester School of Art and Stockport Council have teamed up together to offer reduced studio spaces to art graduates. Depending on the size of the room you require, rent could be as £20 a week, including heating, bills and internet. It is quite a rarity to find a studio that has heating, which will make working in the harsh north winters bearable.
The aim of the Stockport Studios is to form a co-operative of designer makers who wish to start their own business. There will be MMU staff members based in the building offering business support, regular group critiques and mentoring. I think it is vital to have this support network in the first year of starting a business. After meeting other artistic entrepreneurs at the Crafts Council business course, many of them said that they feel lonely and unsociable in their studios.
The downstairs section of the building will host a gallery and shop space. This will allow us to sell our work in the shop. The Market Place will take commission but the money will be pumped right back into making the studio a better place to work.
There is also an opportunity to teach adult classes to the public, which is something I am interested to do in the near future once I have settled into the studio and dedicated some time enhancing my business.
I really hope I get a place at the Market Place studios, it would be a fantastic environment to work in.
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