From the very first moment I saw a leaflet with the Mill Co. logo in Tottenham, I knew another great thing was coming to the area. A social enterprise scheme for creatives has arrived in the patch. In the last four months, I have tried everything (except maybe beg) to get more info about our new residents (business partners, Claire Martin and Nick Hartwright). I have sent an embarrassing amount of emails, walked by far too many times and I even managed to sneak into the empty building with another local. Not my proudest moment. We had a chat with the builders; they were really nice! It was a fun afternoon. Still, not much excuse for my behaviour so I'll move on...
 
You will have heard the name Mill Co. Project flying around, that'll be from Hackney, where an art centre has settled in between two communities in De Beauvoir. Claire and Nick have worked out of the Rose Lipman Building for nearly two years with some of the most disadvantaged in Hackney while engaging and existing alongside some of the richest in the area.  What do they do exactly? They essentially provide space for artists, designers and the local community to set up shop with other lovely things on-site like yoga classes, a cafe and schemes like the Art Awards - residents artists mentoring young people keen to build on creative skills. 
 
I have been to the space in Hackney - this time it was legal - all whitewash walls, high ceilings, endless space and carefully sourced mix-match second-hand-furniture. I also went to the annual community open day, chatty locals dived into a delicious BBQ spread while listening to music. 
 
About time, delighted, curious and even mildly hysterical (I am!), why? Just a couple of reasons - coffee and local art. That's it. Need I write more? Tottenham is overdue for amazing coffee and a space dedicated to the arts! The Mill Co. Project will be based in the gorgeously restored Gaunson House, on Markfield Road - adding to the new faces over in the Fountayne Road community hub.  


How did the studio come about?
We have been operating a creative collective since 2009 and studios, accessible workspace, events space and education since 2010 in Hackney. We have been looking at expanding into other areas of London and felt there was an exciting environment in Haringey and South Tottenham in particular, so decided to explore and we found Gaunson House and instantly realised it was the perfect space for our next building.  
How long have you been planning and working on it?
We started negotiating the lease on Gaunson House in November and signed the lease in May, since then it has been non-stop on getting the refurbishment underway, our first tenants moved in at the end of June!  Fortunately, we have a brilliant team that has worked flat out in getting the space ready for occupation. The uptake has exceeding expectations and we are currently looking at other spaces in the area.  

What were the practical elements needed for the opening of this studio i.e - did it need a grant? Planning permission? 
We are a social enterprise and our projects so far are self-funded. The investment to refurbish the buildings comes from our own pockets.  The building is B1 and therefore there isn’t need for a change of use for the studios.
Why Tottenham?
We were looking for our next move, Hackney has become saturated so we wanted to explore new territory, and following some research, we found that the there was a need for accessible workspace.  We also got a really warm and positive reaction from the local community, which confirmed that this was the right move for us.  
Did you have a connection with this space? 
We have soft spot for industrial style architecture and we fell in love with it immediately.  The location, dimensions, the light is perfect for a creative workspace.  
Tell us what we can expect to see and take part in, at the studio? 
A vibrant creative community of working artists and designers, educational workshops for all, employment and a meeting space. 
What particular resources can locals look forward to?  
Workshops and classes such as life drawing, mural painting, music, photography, filmmaking etc. Some exciting “pop-up” events are also planned.  
What's your favourite element of the studio?  
The light is fantastic, the bare brickwork and industrial features, Markfield Park and most importantly all the new tenants and local people we are meeting.  It just feels great.  
What are your hopes for the space?
We hope to create a really solid community of like-minded commercial and creative artists and SME’s’, like the ones we’ve developed in our Hackney buildings that will collaborate with us and with each other. We will also continue with our workshops and events such as life drawing, mural making, photography, furniture restoration and much more. We aim to make these workshops available to all with free places for certain local residents and young people.  


Tell us about your backgrounds? What are your interests and how did you end up wanting to open this space?
Claire
My background is in PR, Marketing and events for brands such as Topshop & Wrangler and a seven-year stint at Surgery PR. I set up the Mill Co. and the store in 2009 after realising there was a gap in the market for an agency that nurtures and manages independent creative talent.  The following year Nick and I decided to set up the studios and events and it all grew from there. What we have now is a holistic solution for the independent artist and designer.  
Nick  
I began by working in design and manufacture of handmade carpets and textiles with a mill based in Cairo Egypt with my family. I then took on the business myself. At around that time I became involved in theatre and the restoration of listed buildings and was one of the leading members of the team behind the restoration of The Battersea Arts Centre. I started the studio business with Claire following the realisation that we needed spaces for our own enterprises and that there was an obvious need for affordable workspace for our colleagues and associates. And to be honest, it's just grown from there into something that has become a fantastic mix of studios, theatre, food, events, education the list just goes on.  
Where do you both live? 
Claire I've lived in Hackney for 13 years  
Nick I’ve lived in London for most of my life north, south, west and east settling in Leytonstone 5 years ago.  
Will that make a difference to your work locally at the studio?
Not really, we will work between the Hackney and Tottenham buildings and spend time at each.  We are also being asked by other boroughs to set up spaces there so it looks like we’ll be moving around a lot.   
Do you have a date for the opening? Will there be a launch or can locals rush over?
The official launch will be in September - date to be confirmed. 
Craving Coffee will be serving their fine coffee and we’ll have Wilds Cheese and Pizza from the Voodoo Rays.  Some of the studios will be open so guests can come and have a look round as well as a drink and there will be an exhibition of works in the front.  
  
New studio residents

Arron Fitzgerald  
The Art of Dining  
Bourgeouis and Maurice  
Ryan Orme  
Soul Rebel Films   
Nick Gentry  
Jude Greenaway  
Joseph Wallace  
Charlie Dubery  
Craving Coffee  
Dental Records   
Voodoo Rays  

This was written in August 2014