City’s creative industry sector wins council backing

Senior councillors have backed a trio of innovative workspaces in Leeds to give the city’s creative individuals and start-ups a boost.

Leeds City Council’s executive board gave its support to the first projects to benefit from the newly-created Creative and Digital Workspace Fund, set up to give fledgling businesses in this sector more opportunities to flourish.

Members of the board gave the green light to support for Leeds Media Centre in Chapeltown as well as Leeds Arts Hostel and Hope Foundry in Mabgate.

All three will now receive funding through the scheme, enabling them to start work on projects to expand and refurbish a series of unique shared work spaces which can then be used as a modern base for artists, creative firms and digital small businesses.

The fund has been established after research showed that some small businesses in the city’s creative and digital sectors were struggling to find affordable work spaces in or near the city centre.

With help from the fund, social enterprise Unity Property Services plans to revamp and upgrade The Leeds Media Centre in Chapeltown which currently provides space for small businesses in the creative, digital and voluntary sectors.

The project will see the creation of additional work space units and the development of an incubation facility for prospective entrepreneurs and young businesses.

East Street Arts will relocate their Leeds Arts Hostel to premises close to their St Patrick Studios headquarters in Mabgate.

Their original Arts Hostel venue proved popular, attracting more than 6,000 bookings a year, but is closing as the site is redevelopment by the property owner. Like the original, the new site will provide affordable temporary accommodation for visiting artists and performers as the city builds momentum towards Leeds 2023.

And the fund will also support Music and Arts Production (MAP) Charity in securing the long-term future of Grade II listed Hope Foundry.

Working with young people who are not thriving at school, MAP Charity is the anchor tenant of Hope Foundry and is looking to purchase and redevelop the building to increase the available space.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “We know the creative and digital sectors in Leeds are bursting with innovation and ideas, with some incredibly imaginative businesses working on projects which will enrich the city’s economy and cultural scene immeasurably in the coming years.

“With Channel 4 relocating to our city and exciting cultural developments like Leeds 2023 becoming more and more central to life in Leeds, it’s important we help give those companies every chance to establish themselves and fulfill their immense potential.

“Supporting these dynamic and specialised spaces through the Creative and Digital Workspace Fund will help them gain a vital foothold as we encourage them to grow and thrive in the uniquely fertile creative environment which modern Leeds has to offer.”

The approval of the Creative and Digital Workspace Fund comes as the executive board also approved proposals to establish a new world class TV and Film studio at the old Polestar Petty printworks on Whitehall Road.

The council also recently launched an expression of interest for television post-production companies to take a lease on the Grade II listed property, The Engine House, located in the South Bank.