The St Michael's Studios complex is threatened by a massive redevelopment project on the historic trading estate on which we're based. We won't let this happen. We now provide studios for over 25 artists, and we've become an important cultural destination in the South West of England.
I started the studios exactly 10 years ago in 1999, when all I had was a bikers bar next door, and a discount furniture store at the other end of the building. Gradually more artists began to arrive, until we've now taken over the entire 1st and 2nd floors of this beautiful Edwardian, former rope-making building.
We now do quarterly Open Studio events that attract hundreds of people - the next one is this coming August Bank Holiday weekend - and we've realised from the feedback we receive that we're offering a really wonderful and rare experience. People simply aren't used to the sense of community and casual creativity that they experience here. It's obvious that our 'bean-counting' society is gradually weeding out the genuine creative outlets, destroying them with legislation and bureaucracy.
It's important that we do something about this now. We must 'draw a line in the sand' and put the quality of our communities above the greed of developers. I've already lost two studios to developers (in London). Help us to stop yet another developer ripping the heart out of one of the few 'genuine' towns we have left.
Please go to this page and click on 'submit a comment' and express your objection to the current redevelopment proposal.
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