Happily our studios are very popular and our businesses stay with us for many years! Demand to become part of the Mill Co. family is usually quite high. If you can be flexible about which building and the size of the space you’d be interested in then we are more likely to be able to pair you with the perfect space sooner.

Of course not! Every part of our process is free of admin fees! We believe no one should have to pay admin or application fees because it disproportionately affects certain people. We love to hear from people looking for studios and welcome you to tell us about your practice. If we have something that will suit you we’ll pair you with a studio as soon as possible. Just drop us an email and show us some of your work – we can’t wait to see what you’ve been making!

We work extremely hard to match creative businesses with studios in buildings that compliment both their work and the creative community already in the building. Specific needs such as noise levels and compatibility come into play when pairing you with the ideal studio. We aim to give preference to those who have been registered the longest, but this may not always be possible. Each of our sites, and each of our communities, are completely unique so there is often differing criteria for each, we’re happy to talk to you about what that is and we’ll always let you know if it seems like we may not be able to find space for you. Businesses within our buildings are welcomed to apply for other studios when they become available and, if they continue to meet the criteria, they may be given preference. We take into consideration whether you are working commercially and your turnover and this may effect if we can give you a space. If so, we’ll explain why to you.

Due to the nature of our buildings we can normally accommodate most creative businesses and practices. If we can’t, we’ll be upfront and let you know! We love the wide range of people and businesses that call our buildings home, from artists, designers, makers, pr firms to photographers. We are happy to try to accommodate more complex needs where possible. We have an affordable tiered pricing system based on the nature of the organisation and charge a slightly higher fee to those working on a more commercial basis. This money is then fed back to the community, providing spaces for those working less commercially – this means everyone gets a fair price and those who can pay more feed straight back into the community building a nice environment for everyone – win win!

We love ceramicists so we have some studios with kilns installed already. We will always give ceramic businesses priority over these studios.

Sorry but no, please don’t do that.

If we think you might be a good match for a studio that has become available we will send you details and invite you to a viewing. You will meet one of the team who can show you the space and answer any questions. We generally are only able to provide viewing on weekdays between 10-6pm but we can sometimes arrange these at the weekend if we have events running in the building. We may invite multiple people to view the space at the same time.

If your practice is the best fit we will contact you to offer the opportunity to take the space. If your practice is not the best fit we will contact you and let you know (and we’ll let you know why if you’d like to know!) We’ll ask for details and request the following information:

Three months bank statements
Photographic ID such as a passport, drivers license etc.
Proof of address

We’ll then write up a year’s licence with a three month break clause for both parties. You will then have 24 hours to return the licence. Once this is signed we will send you an invoice requesting two months deposit, a key and fob deposit (£100) and the initial first month licence fee and service charge.

No sorry – you will need to pay via BACS and there are no exceptions to this.

Everyone’s safety is really important to us and we carry out regular health and safety checks at each of our buildings. We perform regular Fire Risk Assessments and Risk Assessments but as a studio occupant you will be required to carry out your own Fire Risk Assessment and general Risk Assessments a copy of which needs to be given to us. There are no exceptions to this rule. There is a health and safety contract you will be expected to follow at all times. You will receive a site induction to the building that will include fire escape routes etc.

Security of the studios relies on everyone’s vigilance and cooperation making sure that doors and windows are securely locked, we’re a community so we ask everyone to look out for everyone else.

You are able to keep the studio for as long as your licence. We conduct annual reviews of how each studio is used and ensure the most is being made of the spaces. There is no set maximum time we restrict you to keeping the studio, provided you are complying with the terms of the agreement and our annual review goes well.

The minimum license period is 1 year from signing. After this you must give 3 calendar months’ notice period.

Licences mean that you pay a licence fee rather than rent. This offers both us and you the most flexibility and keeps costs down, a saving which we pass directly onto you! In return for the licence fee we offer you a space in the building and use of the communal areas under the terms set out in the Licence agreement.

The Licence Fee and Service Charge cover gas, electricity, water, maintenance of the common areas in the building and our management costs. It does not include business rates.

Mill Co. provide building insurance. You will be responsible for contents insurance and public liability insurance. We take no liability for loss or damage to processions. You may also need Employers Liability Insurance and we may ask for evidence of this.

The donation is the contribution that all our residents make towards the local community as part of the Mill Co model. This takes the form of time, opportunities, free tickets and free workshops and training to name but a few! We invite you to be as innovative as possible in your payback in order to provide the greatest benefit to those you engage with. We host a regular public arts programme from the Rose Lipman Building which we encourage all of our residents to engage with.

Yes, all of our sites have heating (we hate cold studios too!) If you wish to provide additional heating, you are able to supply your own PAT tested electric heater with no exposed elements. We may ask for an additional contribution towards any significantly increased bills as a result but we’ll always be fair about it.

It is possible to hold workshops and events in your studio, but before announcing or holding the event you will first need to gain written permission from us. We ask that you provide us with a brief, a risk assessment, and proof that you have the relevant insurance cover (e.g., Public liabilities insurance) to safely hold the event.

To keep everyone safe no event or workshop can go ahead without our written permission. If we approve the event we ask that you email us with the details so we can pop it on the website and help you promote it.

We are happy for businesses to share spaces to keep costs down. This must be done through us and with a formal agreement with us– we do not permit ad-hoc sharing, even for short periods. Let us know when you apply if you wish to share the studio, all businesses wishing to share must be assessed by us.

We can easily add another businesses to a new licence agreement at a later date too, so please contact us should your circumstances change and you wish to share (or vice versa).

No sorry.