A vacant office space in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD has been transformed into a new creative co-working hub, unlocking affordable workspace for local creatives.
Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks today welcomed the announcement to officially open Collins Street Studios, supported through a partnership between the Government and City of Melbourne Council’s Creative Spaces program.
“We’re proud to back Collins Street Studios which offers our creative talent with the space they need to grow their practice and businesses while boosting Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s creative and cultural heart,” said Minister Brooks.
Formerly an empty office floor at 271 Collins Street, the facility offers more than 1,100 square metres of affordable space for creative organisations and practitioners to work, collaborate and connect.
With space for more than 100 creative businesses, so far 50 individuals, microbusinesses and organisations have taken up residency including leading digital games company Summerfall Studios, street dance company Cypher Culture, architecture and heritage group Robin Boyd Foundation and publisher No More Poetry.
The facility is supported through the $200 million Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a partnership between the Labor Government and Council, as well as funding from Creative Victoria’s Creative Neighbourhoods Infrastructure Support Program.
“Creative Spaces is about partnerships, collaboration and innovation, connecting landlords with vacant spaces and the creative sector – and we’re proud to be doing what counts,” said Lord Mayor, Sally Capp.
Collins Street Studios will be managed by Council’s Creative Spaces team.
Collins Street Studios complements another Government and Council partnership project, The Guild creative co-working space, which launched in 2017 inside a residential building on Sturt Street, Southbank.
Find out more about Collins St Studios at www.creativespaces.net.au.
