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 and backing more businesses and workers, thanks to the Allan Labor Government.
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks today welcomed the announcement to officially open Collins Street Studios, supported through a partnership between the Labor Government and City of Melbourne's Creative Spaces program.
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 City of Melbourne, as well as funding from Creative Victoria's Creative Neighbourhoods Infrastructure Support Program.
Collins Street Studios will be managed under City of Melbourne's Creative Spaces team which aims to provide affordable spaces for the creative sector.
Collins Street Studios complements another Government and City of Melbourne 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
As stated by Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks
"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."
As stated by City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp
"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."
