Oldknows

Oldknows Factory:
Office Space, Virtual Offices, Creative Workshop and Studio Facilities in Nottingham
0845 009 8983 - info@oldknowsfactory.co.uk

Description: Oldknows Factory is an old lace factory built in the 1850S.

Our building offers much open light space, ideal for all types of creative industries. Sir James Oldknow started the idea to transform Nottingham into an art hotspot. We would love to resurrect this creative spirit. History always finds its ways around!

Oldknows factory already comprises of Artists, rehearsal space for musicians, dance studios, training companies, Photographic studios, creative businesses etc. The views are stunning and a lot of the areas have an appeal of loft apartment space.

We are always looking to attract people/industries that will help us to enhance its natural beauty and presence.

Office Space: If you are looking for Office Space in Nottingham that stands out from the crowd then look no further!

Settled in an old lace factory, we provide office spaces from 100 to 10.000 sq-ft, enough space for YOUR needs. We have created a facility where everyone profits from the in house business connection (in house economy). This beautiful building contains still loads of the original old Victorian features and it is situated next to the Nottingham city centre. Parking space is available.

Current Tenants:
A Rashid & B Hossain – Cut Price Furniture Sales

Knittingham Ltd – Mixed clothing/material manufacturers based in nottingham.

The Stone Soup Project – The Stone Soup Project was founded in 2001 as a collaboration of industry professionals in both film and music. We are also developing and producing a number of short films and working towards our first main feature. The Stone Soup Project provides training in all aspects of music and film production with a strong emphasis on multimedia formats. We provide a supportive network to allow people to realise their potential and explore their creativity.

Architects Of Air – Architects of Air brings visual excitement and wonder into the everyday environment with very accessible ephemeral architecture wherein the visitor encounters the beauty of light and colour.

Merchants Property Services – Merchants Property Services are an independent letting agency providing a specialist service for landlords, tenants and buy to let investors throughout the Nottingham area.

R Chander + Co – wholesaler for laces and textiles

Location on Map

Thingland:
::thingland studio:: 21 artists studio spaces :: a collective of professional artists, creative practitioners, makers & musicians::

Spaces rarely become available at thingland, so please email the Studio Manager Dan to book a viewing and to find out more at; thingland@hotmail.co.uk. Please note that the studio is only seeking artists who are producing and committed to their creative work and the use of the studio space.

Monthly rates range from £70 - £80 (inclusive) as part of open plan space or office respectively.
residing across the top floor (with lift access) of an impressive open plan industrial building shared with many other creative industries, thingland studio is close to nottingham city centre, in the Oldknows building on Egerton street.

Article, dated 29th January 2009, details the struggles faced by the Oldknows building. Proves that it wasn't always plain sailing and has actually faced problems:

Nottingham Studio groups face closure.

On 6th October 2007 Oldknows studio group celebrated twenty years of existence. In 2009 they now face closure.

Oldknows established itself in the vacant, Oldknows Factory industrial building in St Ann’s Hill Road in 1987. Up until 1995 the group housed the Oldknows Gallery, the first artist-run, independent gallery space in Nottingham. The gallery exhibited local, UK and international artists and was involved in collaborative exchanges with other artist groups, such as the Transmission Gallery in Glasgow. Several members of Oldknows set up a group called mere jelly that in 2004, took work by nine East Midlands’ artists’ to an Art Fair at Olympia, London. More recently Oldknows have been involved in ‘cabaret pink’ events in 2005 and 2006, educational work and other studio projects.

The St Ann’s Hill Factory building is in a serious state of disrepair and out of necessity the landlord entered into partnership with the Stone Soup project which is in a position to make the necessary external repairs. As a result the Oldknows, Egerton and CAN studio groups face closure. While some artists have opted to remain in the building on individual leases, under the new leasing agreements a studio group structure will no longer be an option.

This marks the end of collective occupation by Oldknows Studio Group. Saturday the 31st January will be the last chance to visit the group in their studios. They will present work by recent artist in residence, Korean artist Jimin Chun, plus a big cross studio Freecycle and art sale event in the Oldknows building.

Other groups occupying the space and directly affected are Egerton (home to the Gold Factory project space) and CAN studios. The Oldknows factory collectively houses over 50 artists in six independently run studio groups, the others being, Thingland, Opus and Art Spirit studios.

Looking Forward: Nottingham however remains a vibrant city for affordable studios, which include Nottingham Artists Group, Wollaton Studios, Reactor, Stand Assembly, Tether Exit Here and Backlit as well as a number of other independent groups.

Led by a group of individual artists, including previous Oldknows tenants, Nottingham Studios, is looking to the future with an initiative to secure the long-term future for artists in the city. With vision and development plan supported by Arts Council England, Nottingham Studios is aiming to establish permanent high quality, secure, artist-led studio facilities.