Cultural hotspot launched by popular entrepreneur

A WELL-KNOWN East Yorkshire businessman has launched a new cultural hotspot which he hopes will help elevate the success of local talent.

Malcolm Scott, who is probably best known for launching commercial property agency Scotts Property in 1990 and then attempting to buy the Humber Bridge in 2011, has transformed his former office into thriving events venue, theatre, café bar and restaurant, Kardomah94, in Hull city centre.

His six-figure investment has created a lively talent hub. Aside from the bar/café/restaurant area, he has opened up space to be completely adaptable and suit whatever users need it for, whether that be for a lecture, theatre production, cinema, presentations, awards or business seminars.

Scott, who launched the venture with illustrator Calvin Innes and Vincent Furlong and George Wilkins of Panopticon Films, is now hoping to attract individuals and businesses to help support talent via a donor scheme for Kardomah94 – the name inspired by a 1960s chain of coffee shops which had a reputation for live music.

Donors would pump some cash into the project and then receive tailored use of the space and branding, for example.  

“The key thing here is that they will become heavily engaged in what they chose to take place at the venue. I’m hoping that more businesses and individuals will enjoy an involvement in whatever element of regional culture is important to them. We are entirely individual and can tailor something that is of greatest interest to them,” he said.

“This place is another reason for businesses being here in terms of the cultural side of things. It’s part of creating an impression and experience of the city that is something individuals and businesses can be part of.

“I wanted to create a space where regional music talent could flourish and it’s a place where we can hopefully encourage any cultural talent in this region to go a step further.”

Scott, who is also on the Humber LEP board and is director of Hull Kingston Rovers, has submitted a proposal to Hull City Council’s planning committee for a projection screen which would see a projector in the Guild Hall projecting films and adverts, among other things, onto Kardomah94.

The business is also currently in discussions with The Rank Foundation to discuss the Hull venue being a base for the charity’s film archive. The charity’s founder was Hull-born Lord Rank.