TAO Nottingham

This venture in Nottingham was an adventurous step toward creating a sustained project, offering opportunity for the introduction of the arts to the community, education in the arts; regular classes and workshops, with artist studios available to rent on monthly basis, with the opportunity for arts-related events, exhibitions and the promotion of local and national artists and their artwork. There are also facilities for screen printing, textiles and sewing.

The gallery and teabar is situated at 21 Station Street, in Nottingham's city centre, facing the north side of the train station, and adjacent to the southern tram stop and Nottingham canal. Based in the former Hopkinson's Hardware Store, a significant business in Nottingham's retail history, the premise had stood empty for several years, and was reflective of many buildings in the direct area.The gallery has a teabar offering hot and cold snacks and light bites, a wide range of world teas and herbal infusions, coffee and hot chocolate, selective cold drinks and cakes. With a fayre of community arts and crafts for sale. The gallery and Teabar is open daily from 8am.

TAO recognises the demand for independent space for practitioners in the arts, and negotiated use of the neighbouring buildings from property developer Bildurn, and following a year of work and effort in renovating, cleaning and decorating, have been offering further office, workshop and private rooms to rent, in the upper floors of 3-9 Station Street, as studios and offices and workshop space for creative industries and practitioners working toward education in the arts. We are now working toward upgrading the entrance to include a new exhibition space through the corridors and stairwell.

With access to the remaining derelict buildings in the block, attention in 2009 and 2010 has been on 19 Station Street. the building had been boarded for over ten years. The rear yard was cleared after a decade as an illegal fly-tip site, the basement studios were established as woodwork and metalwork studios, and the ground floor and upper floors cleared of debris and vandalism, and left to dry out. We have now completed the process of refitting the first floor. Now open on the ground floor, their is an independent hair dressing training salon in place and a nail and beaty salon offering training opportunities, and a darkroom, and soon to open is our book swap, recycle information centre and the Foyer gallery, the smallest gallery in Great Britain, On the first floor there will be a paint store, and a wood workshop, and presentation room. There are now available two low cost studio spaces.

TAO recently received project funding to work with disadvantaged groups in the city to create a public mosaic on the frontage of 19 Station Street. This is an example of further opportunities TAO wish to create in this project for the benefit of the community.

The final building will be the most ambitious of the regeneration project in Station Street. Again the interior has been boarded over for over a decade and suffered at the hands of vandals, drug abusers and copper thieves. The ground floor has been cleared but the upper floors are littered with debris and broken fixtures. TAO are seeking ways to clear this mess and afford the disposal of waste. It is the intention to create a live space for music and small theatre performance, with recording and rehearsal facilities available in the community.

Both TAO and TAO Nottingham are determined to succeed in these efforts. TAO Nottingham has working relationships with many aspects of the arts society in the city and region and offers volunteer opportunities for the community to get involved.

 

for full information http://www.taonottingham.co.uk

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