Affordable art studios have launched at Trilogy’s Great Northern, in Manchester city centre, occupying 7,000 sq ft.

Stockport-based GRIT Studios has expanded its operations into Manchester city centre, offering up a variety of workspaces for around 80 artists. There’s a mixture of studios and what it calls “messy hot desks” starting from £75 a month.

John and Sophie Macaulay created GRIT Studios in 2021 as a place for artists to work and collaborate. John Macaulay said the appetite for city centre studio space was strong since so many of the historic mills that were formerly creative spaces have been converted into apartments. All the studio spaces have already been taken, and messy desks proving popular.

Jack Albert, asset manager at Trilogy, said: “As the latest development of our ongoing commitment to art and culture in the city, this addition to our community at Great Northern is a proud moment,” Albert said.

“We have partnered with John and Sophie from GRIT for a number of years, to host exhibitions, to commission local artists, and to run a pop-up artists shop. We have always been impressed with their professionalism, and their support for this important sector,” Albert continued.

“GRIT Studios in Stockport has been a great success, and we are so pleased we can offer the space for this facility to now operate in a prime city centre location, providing much-needed affordable space for local talent. We are looking forward to welcoming a new community of artists and makers to our Great Northern family.”

Great Northern will only be a temporary home for GRIT as Trilogy and Peterson gear up the site’s redevelopment to deliver 150,000 sq ft of offices and 746 homes at Great Northern. GRIT  are committing to creating a ‘Forever Community’ if not a Forever Home.