36 Lime Street is a vibrant and eclectic organisation, offering secure and affordable workspace for artists and creative businesses.
All of our studios are self-contained, lockable workspaces. Studios vary in size and facilities. Our smallest studio is just 5 square meters and the largest 119 square meters. Facilities in individual studios are dependent on the needs of previous tenants. Studios may have phase 3 power, sinks, sound insulation and other specific facilities.
Studios are advertised on an as an when basis. When recruiting for new members the specific studio will be listed on this page, giving details of the studio and outlining costs.
There are no studios available at this time. Sign up to our waiting list in the right hand column if you would like to be contacted when one becomes available. Interested parties will be invited to view the studio and should it suit your needs an application form can be submitted. Applicants are then interviewed by existing members to select the most appropriate candidate.
36 Lime Street Ltd’s guiding principle is to provide secure, affordable studio spaces for rent by creative artists and in doing so to contribute towards the regeneration of the building and the area. The ethos of 36 Lime Street is that Members run the organisation cooperatively, working collectively as well as taking on individual responsibilities. 36 Lime Street Ltd holds a head lease for the building that requires it to fully maintain and repair the premises. Rent from studios includes an amount for repairing and maintaining the fabric of the building and communal areas, plus part-time administrative support.
Members are expected and obliged to contribute to the running of the building by undertaking tasks such as testing fire alarms, overseeing building works, putting out bins, redecorating corridors or organising exhibitions, studio tours, open studios and other events. It is essential that all Members sign up to be an active member of at least one committee or other member-led sub-group and are prepared to become an elected member of the board of Directors at some point. An average of 4 General Committee meetings and an Annual General Meeting are held each year and the Board of Directors meets once a month.
In effect, Members ‘pay’ for rent below market average by putting time and effort into running the building.
Studios are currently charged at £17.53 per square meter per quarter. An average quarterly rent is £579.00 (around £193.00 per month). Rent rises are considered alongside the budget each year, in consultation with the membership, and would generally come into effect for the June quarter.
36 Lime Street issues quarterly electricity bills calculated on Members’ individual usage plus a surcharge to cover the communal cost. Some studios have sinks and other plumbed in facilities, but water rates are included in the quarterly rent. Members are responsible for arranging and paying their rates and other utilities, supplying and maintaining appropriate fire safety equipment for their practice, biannual PAT testing their electrical equipment and 5 yearly professional inspection of their studio’s electrical supply.
We currently operate a premium system where incoming Members pay a premium to the former studio holder. This payment represents the original costs incurred in building the studio, erecting the walls, installing electricity supply, light fittings, sinks, mezzanines etc. Premiums have been standardised and are on a charted depreciation, phasing them out over the next 25 years (starting in 2012). In addition to this 36 Lime Street asks for a deposit of 6 months rent (minimum £500).
