History of Mike Mould’s involvement in the building.
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Mike and Bruvvers was based in the old Apollo Cinema up on Shields Road, [mini car set in the wall] and he was told he needed to move due to future possible development. Mike therefore started to look around for another building that he could possibly buy in order to secure 36 Lime Street’s future an of the theatre.
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He found this building and he bought the whole building with his brother, the actor Roy Marsden, including the space underneath what is now the open space occupied by Seven Stories The Centre for Children's Books, in 1983 for £30,000’s. With the building he had lots of space, but no money in order to do it up. He needed rehearsal studios and flat to live in. His dream was to own his own theatre and cafe/bar. He decided to take the top floor for his flat and rehearsal rooms. He had four floors below him, 5,000 square feet of raw, empty space.
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Word went out that there was space available for artists, makers, and over two years artists started to colonise the space, Tim Kendall was the second artist to move in. Mike took him around after meeting him in the pub. Tim saw the view from the fire escape door on Level 4 and said, 'How much?’ to which Mike replied ‘A tenner a week?’ The deal was done.
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In January 1984 Tim moved in. The electricity was very old, the spaces were open and you had to put your own walls up. Original members were Keith and Alison Barratt, a Trade Union group and the poet Julia Darling. Then meetings were held every Sunday on the village green, where everyone had scones and chatted.
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It was all very idealistic, and a writing draft constitution for how to run as a co-operative was attempted. It was militant times, and within Thatcher times it was a political decision to run as a co-op. Mike initially lived in the old office on Level 3, sleeping on a cardboard bed, as the roof leaked. There were very few windows, lots of rats, pigeons. The smell of Mike’s breakfast every morning travelled up to artists arriving, and they were often invited to share his food.
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Level 3 was entirely occupied by theatre companies, ‘People & Puppets’, ‘Skin & Bones’, and the studios were all self-build. At this point the profile of the building started to rise within the City Council. Dale Bolland from the Council has always been very supportive of the building. Artists were sitting on a Grade 2 listed building and in some ones words’ botching like hell. Looking back things could perhaps have been built better. But at that time the building was redundant, semi derelict and £30,000’ s was thought to be a crazy price to pay. People built there own walls, initially the idea was for people to work in open spaces, but people liked their own spaces and soon the walls started to meet up in a rather adhock way. Floors started to organise themselves a bit more, putting their own loos in etc. At this stage in 1986 there was still no proper co-op, and at that time there was no ‘Arts & Culture’ policy either. We were called ‘the Looney Warehouse’, and there was only lip service to the support for the arts from the government.
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The next decision was how to get the building legalised. Dale Bolland was very committed and there was enough political support in the Council to sort out a capitol grant. In order to get the money we had to be properly constituted. We had help from the Northern Region Co-operative Development Agency. [NRCDA] The co-op was therefore properly constituted and with their help we secured a grant of £100,000 for the building. It was spent on securing the externals of the building, roof, gutters and repointing.
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Peter Lambert who was a pub designer did a feasibility studio speculatively. [Later paid] The work won an award from Prince Charles Community Architecture Award as a co-operative building. It was very much about taking control of your building/living space. During the Princes visit Ali Rhind made him a toilet seat and the visit, Tim ran woodwork workshops for parents at Hotspur School, Mike Golding documented it, and then they all ended up in The Ship.
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The deal with Mike was crucial. He signed the Head Lease over for 99 years to the co-op, pegged to the retail price index. This was offered by Mike to the co-op, his solicitor [Tim Gray] advised him that he was absolutely crazy and urged him not to do it. But Mike said no this is what he wanted to do. Future generations of artists in the co-op need to know this. The rents are low due to Mike. He believes that everyone is entitled to affordable working spaces. We are very privileged.
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The Ouseburn is changing beyond all recognition. We would now all be out of this building under any other circumstances. Secure tenure, cheap space is absolutely crucial to an artist’s future. The Council should be encouraged to buy freeholds.
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On Level 2 they decided not to divide the spaces. They initially shared spaces and used curtains as dividers. But eventually they used a low wall of breezeblocks and a framework of wood and glass, but later artists covered up the glass.
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On Level 1 Lord Hire leased the space for at least a year, they stored machinery and then one night Mike came back from holiday to find a Rave under way and lots of police. He thought that artists were more reliable. The price of a lease comes from what you have spent on building the space and then additionally the improvements you have made to your space. We are all shareholders now.