Work on creative arts hub to begin after ‘hitting wall’
PERFORMANCES
WORK has started on a new £2.5 million creative arts hub.
The Generator project has been a long-term vision to turn Loughborough’s old art college into a creative hub for the town.
Volunteers are aiming to transform the derelict 1930s building in Frederick Street to include work spaces for businesses, a restaurant/café, a multimedia arts space for live performances and a venue for exhibitions and corporate events.
There will also be areas for local arts organisations and community groups to use, and it is hoped it will open next spring.
The community interest company (CIC) leading the project has been supported with £1.8 million of funding from Loughborough Town Deal, Charnwood Borough Council, the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.
In 2019, the CIC joined forces with local developer Our Neighbourhood to acquire the building from Loughborough University.
The building is in two parts but will operate as one.
The premises fronting Frederick Street, run by Our Neighbourhood, has already created new spaces for locallybased creative businesses and a thriving café with a bakery and florist.
The CIC is in charge of the Generator Gallery which fronts on to Packe Street and is raising funds to convert it into the arts venue.
In December 2023, an application for £700,000 funding from the Community Ownership Fund came through, meaning work could start.
David Pagett-Wright, chairman of the Generator CIC, said: “Alongside this amazing breakthrough, we’ve been working incredibly hard behind the scenes for reasons we can now reveal.
“When we went to tender in July 2023, we discovered that recent, exceptional inflation in building costs had made our established plans no longer feasible. We hit quite a wall.
“We had to re-work our plans, creating a two-stage approach, and then go back to our main funders to get their agreement.
“Thankfully, all are on board with this approach.
“Their approval, along with the funding that landed just before Christmas and the subsequent signing off of the building contract, means that we can now say that we’ve done it.
“It’s full steam ahead for the Generator!”
FORMER ART COLLEGE BEING TRANSFORMED FOR GROUPS, BUSINESSES AND