Anchor tenants revealed at Nottingham’s new creative and digital hub
Two anchor tenants have been revealed for the £6m redevelopment of a former Victorian hosiery factory in Sneinton.
Dance4 and Confetti Media Group have been announced as the two major anchor tenants of the new facility.
The brand new venue in the Creative Quarter named Space2 provides high quality workshops, offices and studio units alongside meeting rooms and networking spaces, with ten workspaces still available to let for small or start-up creative and digital businesses.
Dance4 and Confetti will be the first tenants to move into Space2 once they complete the fit-out of their facilities later in the year.
The £6m Dakeyne Street project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Nottingham City Council, undertaken by Wates Construction and delivered via the East Midlands Property Alliance (empa), which aims to improve the procurement and delivery of construction projects and property maintenance for public sector bodies.
Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council and portfolio holder for strategic regeneration, said: “Digital and creative industries are very important to the city’s continued growth and development.
“I’m really pleased that as well as providing valuable space to support our creative industries, we have been able to bring back to life a building which has a lot of history and character.
“Space2 is a fitting transformation of a Victorian factory into a space for local start-ups and small businesses to thrive alongside established Nottingham successes such as Dance4 and Confetti.
“Space2 will enable both Dance4 and Confetti to involve citizens and students in the city on a much larger scale than ever before.
Dance4 will use its new home to offer specialist support and space for the research, production and distribution of new choreographic work.”
Paul Russ, Dance4’s chief executive and artistic director said: “It is thrilling to breathe new life into an old factory space to inspire artists, our local community and continue to place Nottingham as a cultural hub for the UK and beyond. Our new centre brings us the opportunity to extend our work in supporting artists and increasing public engagement in choreography and dance.”
While the majority of Confetti activities will remain at its city centre sites, the company says the expansion to the new space will create opportunities for training and commercial use.
Craig Chettle, chief executive Confetti Media Group and chair Creative Quarter, said: “The Dakeyne Street development is a fantastic new multi-purpose space that we are excited about being a part of.
“It will open up Notts TV programming to audiences and students – allowing them to witness first-hand the workings of a TV studio and will also create opportunities for training and commercial usage. It will be a flagship centre for the city and an exciting addition to the city’s expanding Creative Quarter.”
Alan Coole, Head of empa, said: “This is an enormously exciting project transforming a former hosiery factory into a new hub for the creative and digital industries. We’re thrilled that such a significant project has been delivered via empa and that the new building will provide a spectacular base, and a further boost to Nottingham’s creative offering.”
Phil Harrison, managing director for Wates Construction Midlands and North, added: “Nottingham’s creative sector is thriving and as the city’s new artistic home for creative businesses, Dakeyne Street is set to be a further catalyst for this growth.
“Wates’ close partnership with Nottingham City Council and empa has resulted not only in the successful preservation of this iconic building, but also in the creation of extensive training and employment opportunities for local people, in addition to a significant investment in the local economy via SMEs, making this a project that has created a lasting legacy for the city.”
