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Creative people
create culture
Bringing temporarily empty buildings to life for the benefit of public.
Creative people see potential in empty spaces, with grassroots enterprises driving cultural regeneration across our towns and cities. Yet the soaring cost of living means many of our ideas-makers struggle from home, cafés or public spaces, limiting their ability to grow.
Our mission is to help talented Brits into high quality, flexible and amazingly affordable work and create spaces, by repurposing vacant buildings.
Our spaces
All projects since 2016
PopHub Leicester Square · London
Affordable studios and allocated workspace for more than 100 creatives, freelancers, small organisations and independent businesses in central London. Fixed desks from £40 per month; private studios from £12 per sq ft. Studio 1 available to hire for rehearsals and castings.
Desks, studios and Studio 1
Commercial Road Studios · Shepton Mallet
The first dedicated town centre artist studios in Shepton Mallet, in the former registry offices at 19 Commercial Road. Home to 15 local artists and makers, paying only £1 per sq ft a month including all bills.
The studios
10 Market Place · Shepton Mallet
The charity’s first owned and operated building. A retail incubator lets emerging businesses test their ideas rent and bill free for up to nine months, with a £1,500 capital grant and mentorship. The Studio on the top floor runs classes and workshops in music, the arts and wellbeing.
Incubator and The Studio
The Artistry · Shepton Mallet
A pop-up shop and workshop at 37 Town Street, delivered with Shepton Mallet Town Council and run by a collective of local makers. The work of up to 40 local makers and traders, alongside workshops for kids on up. Shelf space from £15 a month.
Sell or teach at The Artistry- Artist studios from only £1 psf a month
- Co-working memberships from only £60 a month
- Rolling programmes of affordable classes in the arts
- Rent and bill free retail incubators
Before and after
A vacant public asset in Westminster, transformed into PopHub Leicester Square: a model of ethical property re-use. Drag the handle.
BeforeAfterBeforeTired, hard-let, end-of-life offices in the redevelopment pipeline, significant empty property costs attached.
AfterAn affordable creative coworking facility with 55 desk spaces and 16 studios, two meeting rooms, recording studio, conference room, large rehearsal studio, print room, reception, bike storage and toolroom. 100+ members and 30 SME businesses.
Got an empty building?
We are currently looking for new project spaces in London and Somerset of between 3,500 and 150,000 sq ft. If you are a landlord, local authority or developer with an empty building, we’d love to chat.
We establish and operate high quality, sustainable creative hubs in empty buildings, often fitted out with upcycled surplus construction materials and reclaimed furniture. Our workspaces are significantly under market rents, with meeting spaces granted free to local community groups. We employ locally and are supplied by local providers wherever possible.
Somerset Business Awards winner 2025 · Property Awards winner 2021 · Mayor of London accredited workspace provider · Living Wage employer.
