As part of our feasibility research project for a large scale arts venue in Leamington Spa, we are visiting a number of arts venues across the country who do similar things and have similar aims to what we imagine this space to be.
Our latest trip took us to London to two incredible venues - Turning Earth Leyton and Art4Space in Lambeth.
Turning Earth E10 is a centre for ceramics that opened in the Lea Valley in March 2017, in the 8,500 sq ft top floor of an old hardware factory. The centre includes a large open-plan membership studio where trained artists, serious hobbyists, and beginners work together in a community environment, with the benefit of shared facilities. It also includes a large 'Learning Hub' which hosts a wide range of classes.

Images by Carmel King, taken from the Turning Earth website
Their ceramics membership model is revolutionary for the UK and has proven to be incredibly popular. It's something we will be looking to replicate in a Leamington based arts space. They have a huge range of equipment and membership includes materials and everything you might need to create your own ceramics.

The welcoming, open studio space is aspirational and such a pleasure to be in. The converted factory lends itself perfectly to a light and airy shared space with enough room for everyone to feel they have their own spot. There are a number of wheels, kilns, a glazing area, huge amounts of worktop space and kitchen facilities, plus a cafe onsite downstairs.
We learned a huge amount about the practicalities of running a ceramics space, and were hugely encouraged by the success of this beautiful space.
Next up was Art4Space, which is an incredibly inspiring community arts centre in Lambeth. From the moment we walked in the door, we knew this place was special. It buzzes with an incredible energy and it really felt like a space for community to come together. The stories we heard from the people there were so incredibly important and really showed us what a venue like this can do for the people around it, in terms of providing safe and meaningful space and also in creating connections between people.

The work that has gone into creating this arts venue is astounding and the founder, Julie Norburn, has worked for 25 years to get it to where it is today, so provided us with an absolute goldmine of advice and guidance. Her commitment to community arts was incredibly inspiring and gave us a lot of hope for the future of a space like this in our town.

We also learned about social prescribing within the arts, which allows venues like this to support the NHS especially mental health services and GPs. It can especially help with loneliness and finding a place in a society that sometimes feels so disconnected.
Takeaways:
The arts can save lives
The individual stories we heard at Art4Space were incredible and truly confirmed our own belief that engaging with the arts can have a huge positive effect on individuals, and there was more than one case where being part of this arts community had prevented the death of individuals. It is not dramatic to say that these sorts of places save lives. This is hugely inspiring to us, and we intend to hold this firmly in mind moving forward.
Tie into other services
Social prescribing is something we are definitely interested in pursuing and will help us to broaden the scope of our user base and to really achieve our goals of social benefit. We have begun this process by connecting with local charities and community organisations, and it's something we will work on even more now that we've seen the impact it can have.
Ceramics spaces are in high demand
Turning Earth have seen rapid growth since opening and they continue to thrive. People are seeking out ceramics experiences and the market for classes and membership is strong.
Give scaled memberships, but keep it simple
Different people need different things from the space; some people want everything included so it's easy for them, others need to be more frugal. Offering different levels can be great, but you need to make sure you don't overcomplicate the system, as managing it can become a headache.