Above: Gina Pipet Design Studio at Craft Central The Forge.
We spoke with Craft Central about the best way for a recent graduate to find the studio space that’s right for them, from where it should be and how big should it be, through to insurance, health & safety and the key questions to ask when viewing a studio.
ARTS THREAD: How do I know how much space I will need for my studio?
Craft Central: You need to take into consideration what surface space you need to work on, what tools you will need, what materials and finished products you will need to store. Whether you will need to accommodate other people working for you. Take into account the fact that you might expand and what would be the impact of needing to move if you do expand.
ARTS THREAD: What are the advantages of having a studio in a city as opposed to a more out of town space?
Craft Central: The advantage of being in a city location is that there are likely to be more passersby who will become aware of your work, if you have some street presence. You will be more accessible to possible customers, there should be better public transport. You may be closer to suppliers. You may be able to participate in a range of other events and benefit from their PR and visitors, there are likely to be fewer of these events outside cities.
ARTS THREAD: Subsidies and grants – are these available to new makers? And will a studio help you apply for them?
Craft Central: Some studio providers do have reduced rates for new designers, you will need to check with them. There may be some grants available for studio rents and set up. You would be expected to research these yourself, but its still worth asking the question.
ARTS THREAD: What advantages are there we may not have considered to having a studio as opposed to working from home?
Craft Central: Benefits of being in a studio complex are; networking (you might pick up sales, collaborations, opportunities and tips etc), it looks more professional and customers may feel more confident about your business, it may be in a more accessible location – good for customers and deliveries, avoid the isolation of working alone, some studio providers provide additional support which is useful.
ARTS THREAD: How important to a maker is the PR/marketing and open days etc organised by the studio complex?
Craft Central: Any additional PR/marketing is very important to a maker. It is vital to the success of any business. When you are a one-person business it is hard to fit these essential things in alongside the making – so any help is beneficial. It is worth being involved in any open days they have. They will probably have promoted the event themselves so you will benefit from their PR. There will be visitors who you would have difficulty inviting yourself. Make sure that you get the most from the event – people may not buy on the spot so make sure you have business cards to take aware. Have items clearly priced and consider having items in varied price ranges to suit all pockets. Be friendly!
ARTS THREAD: How do I deal with insurance? And health and safety issues?
Craft Central: You will probably need to sort out your own insurance, you can join group schemes such as like Clear Group you get with Craft Central membership. It may be compulsory to have public liability insurance – your landlord will advise you about this. You will need employers’ liability insurance if you employ staff or offer work experience placements. Consider contents and products insurance and market traders insurance too, these may be included in group schemes. It is good to use a broker who understands the special needs of a small creative business.
You will need to consider a number of health and safety issues, this will partly depend on the number of people you employ. You may have hazardous materials in your studio so check the health and fire risks of these items, you may need to take special measures to store them. Check the Health and Safety Executive website for details.
ARTS THREAD: What about meeting clients? Do I bring them to the studio? Should the studio complex include meeting areas?
Craft Central: Ideally, you will want to have clients to your studio or the complex – it looks more professional and they will be interested in your place of work and to see tools and materials etc. Some studio complexes will have meeting space, they may charge for use of this. If there is no appropriate place, if there are other people sharing your studios, then you may need to consider meeting in a local cafe etc.
ARTS THREAD: Maintenance and repairs- is this normally taken care of by the studio complex?
Craft Central: Maintenance and repairs to the common areas are usually the responsibility of the landlord, however, there may be a service charge to cover these costs. You will probably be responsible for any damage you cause to your studio and common areas. You may be allowed to make changes to your studio, you would need to pay for these yourself and might need to change them back when you leave, e.g. putting up shelves.
ARTS THREAD: Noise – if other makers or myself use machinery – are there restrictions in place on noise levels?
Craft Central: If you are in a craft workshop some level of noise is to be expected. However, you would be expected to be considerate of others and might need to take measures to reduce the noise level. In non-craft studios there may be other expectations regarding noise.
ARTS THREAD: How important is the contact and support of other designers/makers in the complex? And also the studio management?
Craft Central: The contact and support of other designers/makers in the complex can be very important; networking benefits as noted above. Designer makers are generally supportive of others because they all understand the difficulties of developing your own creative business. This can make a big difference particularly when you are starting out.
The studio managers may offer support to their tenants – find out what is on offer.
ARTS THREAD: What are your top questions to ask when viewing a studio?
Craft Central:
Extra tips from Craft Central
Check if the studio offers mentoring or business support to new makers, it can be really beneficial to have that in house.
Consider the location and your commute to your studio, long journey times will impact on your ability to produce work and incur additional travel costs which will then factor into your product costs, so check out travel costs.
If you prefer to start work early or work late then check if the studios have 24-hour access.
Triple check the contracted length of renting your studio. Contracts will vary and you need to check this with the landlord. It may be fixed-term or it may be ongoing until notice is given by either side.
ARTS THREAD: Thank you so much for all your advice!
Craft Central
A registered charity for 40 years, they have supported craftsmanship and craftspeople, encouraging the public to appreciate craft skills and buy fine craft products.
They provide many resources for creative enterprises and individuals including: studio spaces; co-working spaces and desks; educational workshops and classes, plus a busy programme of events held in their gallery.
Commended for a New London Award, their studio building The Forge is a glorious, Grade II listed building with immense historical significance.
Craft Central is a place where creative businesses flourish and a community of designers and makers talk, meet and swap ideas. Craft Central is a destination for those involved in craft who want to get somewhere, make something happen and see things differently.
Find out more about Craft Central’s studios in East London: craftcentral.org.uk
We spoke with Craft Central about the best way for a recent graduate to find the studio space that’s right for them, from where it should be and how big should it be, through to insurance, health & safety and the key questions to ask when viewing a studio.
ARTS THREAD: How do I know how much space I will need for my studio?
Craft Central: You need to take into consideration what surface space you need to work on, what tools you will need, what materials and finished products you will need to store. Whether you will need to accommodate other people working for you. Take into account the fact that you might expand and what would be the impact of needing to move if you do expand.
ARTS THREAD: What are the advantages of having a studio in a city as opposed to a more out of town space?
Craft Central: The advantage of being in a city location is that there are likely to be more passersby who will become aware of your work, if you have some street presence. You will be more accessible to possible customers, there should be better public transport. You may be closer to suppliers. You may be able to participate in a range of other events and benefit from their PR and visitors, there are likely to be fewer of these events outside cities.
ARTS THREAD: Subsidies and grants – are these available to new makers? And will a studio help you apply for them?
Craft Central: Some studio providers do have reduced rates for new designers, you will need to check with them. There may be some grants available for studio rents and set up. You would be expected to research these yourself, but its still worth asking the question.
ARTS THREAD: What advantages are there we may not have considered to having a studio as opposed to working from home?
Craft Central: Benefits of being in a studio complex are; networking (you might pick up sales, collaborations, opportunities and tips etc), it looks more professional and customers may feel more confident about your business, it may be in a more accessible location – good for customers and deliveries, avoid the isolation of working alone, some studio providers provide additional support which is useful.
ARTS THREAD: How important to a maker is the PR/marketing and open days etc organised by the studio complex?
Craft Central: Any additional PR/marketing is very important to a maker. It is vital to the success of any business. When you are a one-person business it is hard to fit these essential things in alongside the making – so any help is beneficial. It is worth being involved in any open days they have. They will probably have promoted the event themselves so you will benefit from their PR. There will be visitors who you would have difficulty inviting yourself. Make sure that you get the most from the event – people may not buy on the spot so make sure you have business cards to take aware. Have items clearly priced and consider having items in varied price ranges to suit all pockets. Be friendly!
ARTS THREAD: How do I deal with insurance? And health and safety issues?
Craft Central: You will probably need to sort out your own insurance, you can join group schemes such as like Clear Group you get with Craft Central membership. It may be compulsory to have public liability insurance – your landlord will advise you about this. You will need employers’ liability insurance if you employ staff or offer work experience placements. Consider contents and products insurance and market traders insurance too, these may be included in group schemes. It is good to use a broker who understands the special needs of a small creative business.
You will need to consider a number of health and safety issues, this will partly depend on the number of people you employ. You may have hazardous materials in your studio so check the health and fire risks of these items, you may need to take special measures to store them. Check the Health and Safety Executive website for details.
ARTS THREAD: What about meeting clients? Do I bring them to the studio? Should the studio complex include meeting areas?
Craft Central: Ideally, you will want to have clients to your studio or the complex – it looks more professional and they will be interested in your place of work and to see tools and materials etc. Some studio complexes will have meeting space, they may charge for use of this. If there is no appropriate place, if there are other people sharing your studios, then you may need to consider meeting in a local cafe etc.
ARTS THREAD: Maintenance and repairs- is this normally taken care of by the studio complex?
Craft Central: Maintenance and repairs to the common areas are usually the responsibility of the landlord, however, there may be a service charge to cover these costs. You will probably be responsible for any damage you cause to your studio and common areas. You may be allowed to make changes to your studio, you would need to pay for these yourself and might need to change them back when you leave, e.g. putting up shelves.
ARTS THREAD: Noise – if other makers or myself use machinery – are there restrictions in place on noise levels?
Craft Central: If you are in a craft workshop some level of noise is to be expected. However, you would be expected to be considerate of others and might need to take measures to reduce the noise level. In non-craft studios there may be other expectations regarding noise.
ARTS THREAD: How important is the contact and support of other designers/makers in the complex? And also the studio management?
Craft Central: The contact and support of other designers/makers in the complex can be very important; networking benefits as noted above. Designer makers are generally supportive of others because they all understand the difficulties of developing your own creative business. This can make a big difference particularly when you are starting out.
The studio managers may offer support to their tenants – find out what is on offer.
ARTS THREAD: What are your top questions to ask when viewing a studio?
Craft Central:
- - What can you do to the studio? Can you put up shelves etc? Do you need to return the studio to its original condition?
- - Can you share the studio with someone else? Does the landlord need to vet the sharer?
- - What is the security like?
- - Are there common areas, exhibition facilities, events you can participate in?
- - Do you offer any additional support? Such as mentoring.
- - Do you have a system in place for deliveries?
- - What is the contract term, how much notice do you need to give? Is there a deposit? Is the deposit refundable? What additional costs are there such as rates, electricity etc?
Extra tips from Craft Central
Check if the studio offers mentoring or business support to new makers, it can be really beneficial to have that in house.
Consider the location and your commute to your studio, long journey times will impact on your ability to produce work and incur additional travel costs which will then factor into your product costs, so check out travel costs.
If you prefer to start work early or work late then check if the studios have 24-hour access.
Triple check the contracted length of renting your studio. Contracts will vary and you need to check this with the landlord. It may be fixed-term or it may be ongoing until notice is given by either side.
ARTS THREAD: Thank you so much for all your advice!
Craft Central
A registered charity for 40 years, they have supported craftsmanship and craftspeople, encouraging the public to appreciate craft skills and buy fine craft products.
They provide many resources for creative enterprises and individuals including: studio spaces; co-working spaces and desks; educational workshops and classes, plus a busy programme of events held in their gallery.
Commended for a New London Award, their studio building The Forge is a glorious, Grade II listed building with immense historical significance.
Craft Central is a place where creative businesses flourish and a community of designers and makers talk, meet and swap ideas. Craft Central is a destination for those involved in craft who want to get somewhere, make something happen and see things differently.
Find out more about Craft Central’s studios in East London: craftcentral.org.uk