A city-wide project to support the future of creative spaces for artists and makers.
Creative Workspaces: A Research Project & Action-led Report for Birmingham is an 18-month research project led by CVAN West Midlands, hosted by DASH. It responds to a growing and urgent challenge across the city: the shortage and increasing fragility of affordable, accessible creative workspace for visual artists and makers.
Through the project we will develop a robust, inclusive evidence base to better understand Birmingham’s current creative workspace ecology. Through mapping, research and sector engagement, it will identify key pressures, gaps and opportunities, and set out practical ways to support a more sustainable future for creative spaces across the city.
Why this work is needed:
Birmingham’s cultural ambitions highlight the importance of inclusive growth, talent development and retaining creative practitioners. However, there is currently limited coordinated information about the availability, condition and long-term sustainability of creative workspaces.
At a time of rising costs, redevelopment and short-term leases, many artists and organisations face increasing uncertainty. This project addresses that gap by bringing together data, lived experience and sector knowledge to create a clear and shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
What the project will do:
The project will combine detailed mapping with participatory research to build a comprehensive picture of creative workspace in Birmingham. This includes identifying where spaces exist, how they operate, how accessible and affordable they are, and where risks to their future may lie.
Alongside this, the project will engage directly with artists, makers, studio providers and stakeholders across the city. A survey will gather insight into need and experience, while open forums and workshops will create space for discussion, reflection and shared learning. A Creative Workspaces Steering Group, made up of Birmingham-based artists and sector representatives, will provide ongoing guidance and critical input throughout.
Specialist consultants will bring additional expertise in creative workspace models and supported studios, ensuring the research is grounded in sector knowledge and inclusive practice.
From research to action:
A key focus of the project is to move beyond analysis towards meaningful, practical change. The research will culminate in an accessible final report and a short film, both designed to communicate findings clearly and widely.
The final outputs will set out a series of action-led recommendations across the short, medium and long term. These will support future planning, partnership development and investment, helping to protect existing spaces, enable new provision and strengthen the overall resilience of Birmingham’s creative infrastructure.
Opportunities to get involved:
This is a collaborative and participatory project, shaped by the people who use, depend on or are currently unable to gain or sustain access to creative workspaces.
There will be a range of opportunities to take part throughout the project, including contributing to a sector-wide survey, attending public forums and workshops, and engaging in consultation activity. A Steering Group will also bring together artists and stakeholders to help guide the work and test emerging findings.
Artists, makers, studio providers and creative organisations across Birmingham are all encouraged to get involved and share their experiences.
Project team and partners:
The project is led by CVAN WM, hosted by DASH.
Anne Forgan has been appointed as Project Manager, leading on delivery, coordination and stakeholder engagement across the life of the project. Research is being led by Meaningfully Ltd (Ellen O’Hara and Deepa Naik), who will design and deliver the research programme, working closely with partners and the Steering Group to ensure a rigorous and inclusive approach.
The project is supported by Arts Council England using public funding from the National Lottery, with additional support from Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Looking ahead:
Concluding in June 2027, the project will have created a shared, city-wide understanding of Birmingham’s creative workspace landscape, alongside clear and actionable recommendations for its future.
We aim to support a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable cultural ecosystem, ensuring that artists and makers can continue to live, work and thrive in Birmingham.
