I need a studio

I wasn't sure whether I should be placing this comment here or not?

Anyway, I'm looking for a studio, here's an explanation of what I'm after:
If anyone can help please get in touch - jay@nousvous.eu

Currently Nous Vous have no fixed studio. This is proving detrimental to our collective practice, as well as hindering our development and involvement in other activities happening in the area. Finding space to work in temporarily means we're constantly moving equipment and materials, meaning we have to devote alot of time to moving and sourcing work spaces. This time we feel would be better spent concentrating on our practice and involving ourselves in projects currently operating in Leeds. At this point, having established a fairly healthy network in the area and exhausting our brains trying to think what is available / suitable, we're at a loss. I could try the same avenues again, but feel it may be more beneficial to put this out and see if anyone has any alternative suggestions. We tried a couple of years ago to set up another independent open studio, with shop, project space, canteen etc, but proved difficult as we were naive at the time and this fell through, so I'm reluctant to go it alone again without some kind of extensive common/shared knowledge.

Presently we don't feel there's a studio set-up in Leeds that accommodates our needs as a multi-disciplinary collective, who work commercially on Graphic Design and illustration commissions and personally on Art practice, Curation, Teaching & Music. The nature of our practice means we don't fit into archetypal institutions existing in Leeds, which generally cater for specific disciplines or commercial practices, which is great and we need them too, I'm not criticising the existing set-ups.

What we need is a 'Studio Office', which would cater for all of our facets, we feel the cross pollination of the disciplines we pursue is an important part of our practice and therefore we would ideally like to practice them all within one space. An open space that has no pre-existing framework, a space that can be adapted organically as and when we embark on various projects we're involved in or initiating.

We would use this space mainly as a studio to develop our practice and work on commercial projects but would be more inclined towards a space that could be opened up to host events, discussions etc.

Nicolas and William have moved to London to pursue an alternative lifestyle (comparable only to their own) for a while, I (Jay) have remained in Leeds and will be staying here for the foreseeable future. Nicolas and William will be returning to Leeds frequently, whilst we will be continuing to practice collectively as Nous Vous. Jay will also be spending more time in London as an exchange. So we will still need a perminant collective studio in Leeds.

We are willing to pay for space and more importantly are willing to donate time/effort to the maintenance and upkeep of a space, with a view to potentially renovating a space so we're able to use it for alternative means and so it can be used in the future for others, as mentioned earlier. Others have expressed an interest in sharing a space to us, which would be ideal, theartmarket for example has expressed an interest in moving into an open facility to accommodate exhibitions and projects alongside the studio aspect, without the restrictive nature of the current set-up in the merrion market.

We would really like to continue practicing the way we do, involving ourselves in activities happening as well as attempting to initiate interesting and culturally stimulating projects, however this has become difficult recently, we finding it difficult to sustain our practice without a dedicated space.

This is all very idealistic I'm aware, but I can't for the life of me see why it's not possible and I will stubbornly pursue this direction. Also If anyone wants to get involved in 'the open office studio treasure hunt', please get in touch.

Many Many Thanks,

Jay

I know it's not Leeds, but thought you might consider it.
Gallery12a in Doncaster. Room to rent £222.33 per month. See my blog or website for details
www.gallery12a.com or www.gallery12a.blogspot.com