The idea
Quaker Street Cafe has been committed to helping the local creative community in our history.
We've been running a whole breadth of arts projects within the community, all from our cafe. We have helped artists to have exhibitions, musicians to produce music EPs, poets to perform spoken words nights and workshop series for young creatives to gain knowledge and network in their desired industries.
Our new creative coworking space launches late 2018 and we want our space to become accessible during evenings and weekends.
Our designers have been briefed to create custom agile furniture and incorporate sustainable/recycled materials too. The agile furniture is required for a seamless transformation from a coworking space to a 750ft open space for events. Moving our current community projects into our new space will increase our workshop capacity from 20 people to 80 at any one event, ultimately delivering better workshops and having a larger impact on our community.
We need your help!
What we'll deliver
- Run monthly art show for grassroots artists
- Run monthly spoken word nights for upcoming poets and poetry enthusiasts
- Run monthly creative seminar/workshops for local community
- Run mental wellbeing seminars for local community
- Run a music-led event
Why it's a great idea
It will provide opportunities to local creatives starting out who otherwise would not be able to afford. Shoreditch is a great location, helping to enhance a creative's profile. It will help provide vital experiences and business acumen for creatives to make them more marketable. It will help reduce carbon footprint by using eco materials and help creatives to build a network of contacts and resourceful synergies with others.
Also, raising awareness and support about mental health to creatives and local community, it will help bring a community spirit to an area which has been heavily impacted by gentrification and loss of confidence.
By empowering locals who are making a difference in our community,
this project is close to the values of Quaker Street Cafe, who have an active engagement in the community. Our inspiration is to create real experiences for real people and make a difference to society. In a busy time and city, this project will help spread some light.
Steps to get it done
- We will have space furniture built off-site by December 2018
- We will curate the schedule of exhibitions and events by January 2019
- We will complete the furniture installation by January 2019
We even helped musicians to create a music EP which is available to stream too. Just £2 would go a long way!
