The Generator Loughborough CIC(1) and Our Neighbourhood are teamed in a unique partnership between the private and voluntary sectors. We jointly own the Old Art College building on Frederick Street/Packe Street and bring our different skills and strengths to its development.

Our Neighbourhood has forged ahead to create workspaces in the four-storey block on Frederick Street:

• The ground floor former Automobile Repair Shop, will be a café, open to all
  
• The first floor where practical instruction in hosiery took place in a Machine Laboratory and a Finishing and Making up Laboratory, is occupied by Clara Cotton, a modern craft company. ‘We design and make embroidery and craft kits, selling online and through our wholesale resellers across the world. We are currently stocked by Liberty, Oliver Bonas and Anthropologie, plus many more. We document our business journey on Instagram @cotton_clara’
• The second floor housed the Textile Testing and Dyeing Laboratory, and now houses ‘Institute’, a collaborative media arts space, offering support, mentoring and advice for creative individuals and businesses while also giving them the opportunity to be involved in media research, practice and larger design commissions
• The top floor held the Handicraft Workshop and Department for the Training of Teachers, it is now occupied by Ohh Deer who specialize in designing and selling Greeting Cards, Stationery and Gifts, as well as successful subscriptions including Papergang, Artful and Barry’s Cactus Club.
  
  

The CIC has the Generator Hall on Packe Street. We have secured Development Phase funding(2) and are included as a Cultural/ Heritage project in the Loughborough Town Deal Board’s Investment Plan, which was submitted for Government funding in February 2021.

Christopher Hill of Linedota Architects is leading the Design Team(3).

Other consultants have been appointed(4) to prepare a detailed Business Plan, to plan a programme of Heritage activity and to design our online presence.

Completed and imminent activities:

• Building surveys and inspections of The Generator Hall have been carried out
• Draft plans have been developed after extensive consultation
• A planning application has been made to Charnwood Borough Council
• An outreach consultation is being carried out by the Heritage Activity Team and Business Planner on the uses of The Generator. They are consulting the people of Loughborough and specific target audiences such as schools, College and University, academics, artists, crafts people, musicians, performers and local businesses.
• Discussions with groups and individuals by the CIC, Architect, Heritage Activity Planners and the Business Planner
• Development of an online presence for The Generator, with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. The original website was lost but has been brought back to life and updated. 
  
  

You can access The Generator at:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

(1) Members of the Generator Loughborough Community Interest Company (CIC):
Shirley Novak, CEO Charnwood Arts
David Pagett-Wright, Solicitor (Chair)
Roger Perrett, Financial Adviser
Jill Vincent, former Trustee/Director Charnwood Arts
Jonathan Hale, Company Secretary

(2) Development Phase funding to RIBA Stage3:
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Architectural Heritage Fund
Charnwood Borough Council
Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership
Charnwood Arts

(3) The Design Team:
Architect and Design Team Leader, Christopher Hill with Feona Man Shan Cheng, Linedota Architects
Cost Consultant, Bristow Johnson
MEP Engineers, EP Consulting
Structural Engineers, Chris Brown SE

(4) Consultants:
Heritage Activity Planners, Bright Culture
Business Planner, David Waterfall
Website Designer, Angela Montague, Push Creativity