Unassuming, and tucked away behind Myrtle Cottage, thought to be the oldest building in Balsall Heath, if you haven’t visited The Old Print Works, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a small building, consisting mainly of a café and a yoga studio. But over the past ten years, the charity and small community behind and within The Old Print Works have been slowly building its 33,000 sq ft into a thriving centre for making, creativity and cooperation. Aiming for maximum resilience, its running costs rely entirely on a trading income from studio rentals, co-working, venue hire and the like.
Beside its rustic industrial charm, however, a few underlying issues in the building have been holding it back from achieving its potential and full financial sustainability. We have therefore relied heavily, both historically and currently, on the goodwill of trustees and unitholders alike. But thanks to the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP), a grant of around £150,000 is marking a change. Building works are underway to install a modern fire alarm system and emergency lighting throughout the building, which, along with an accessible toilet, will broaden the usefulness and useability, as well as the appeal, of the building, as well as safeguarding existing uses and users. It is 31 jobs in all that these works will be safeguarding for the local economy.
In addition, refurbished studios will replace a cordoned-off area of buckets and bins that used to catch rainwater pouring through a particularly leaky section of roof. Five more studios will be made available with the grant, in a range of shapes, sizes and styles, in keeping with the rest of this quirky industrial building.
A beautifully sunlit, but cold, room behind a gorgeous, but decaying, art deco window overlooking the courtyard lends itself perfectly to extend the co-working space which, prior to covid-19, was reaching capacity. The refurbishment of this space, including insulation, secondary glazing and a more efficient boiler will help create an inspirational shared workspace, further promoting the cross-fertilisation of ideas and approaches that leads people to co-work at The Transfer. Below this room, sharing the façade, the view and the heating, a large meeting room for seminars, workshops and small performances is being prepared. Post-covid demand for co-working is likely to increase given current trends, and with a futureproof wi-fi system being put in place throughout the building, all our co-workers, makers, creatives and visitors will be well connected. The Old Print Works forecasts capacity to harbour 37 new jobs over the coming 5 years.
B12 has had its ups and downs. The traffic on the Moseley Road has cut right through it dividing east from west. But the community appreciates the fascinating history of its buildings and knows their value. Years of local effort and resources have been put into keeping them alive – places where the community could give expression to its energy, culture and uniqueness. But these important places, having been on local life support for a decade or two, are now being recognised by outsiders for their worth. This investment by the LEP is testament to their ambition to invest in the creative sector to enable inclusive economic growth across the region. Much-needed injections of cash here, as well as in the Moseley School of Art building and Moseley Road Baths by other funders, are starting to make a difference to the creative, economic and social local landscape. Some stubborn individuals, the community, better funding and a partnership approach together are bringing back the beating heart of Balsall Heath.