Over the years, Gather Round has been a home to many creatives but two industries have always been prevalent: music and design. With the likes of CrackPirate Studios,Fiasco Design and The Discourse being proud members of our community — it was high time we hosted a hangout to ask our network to discuss the indisputable overlap.

Last week we gathered in our cosy meeting room to listen to some of Bristol’s creative moguls discuss the profound parallels of music and design. With Pizzarova supplying slices of the good stuff, we took to our seats and immediately the vibe felt like old friends getting together.

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Meet the panelists

Amy Gettings

Amy is the Managing Director, Co-Founder and driving force at Hey! What? studio, a design agency specialising in music, festivals, food, drink and attractions. With a background steeped in the free party scene, Amy draws inspiration from underground culture and has worked alongside some big names in the music industry including Glastonbury Festival, Eats Everything and Massive Attack.

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Todd Sayer

While studying design at university, Todd spent his nights out pitching his skills to DJs, promoters, and venues, turning casual conversations into creative opportunities. He quickly built up an impressive repertoire and founded Electric Mustard 12 years ago, a design agency catering to music, events and culture. More recently, he’s started his own record label, People Like Music. He’s been a key player in The Official Charts rebrand, the making of Drumcode’s website and Ben Howard’s tour artwork.

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Nathalie Crease

Music and design have always been a theme in Nat’s life. While studying design at university, you’d spot her on street corners, handing out flyers that she’d created for the events she was busy organising. Her career has taken her through the music world, working with DHP, Rock City Promoters, and the Colombo Group, where she managed iconic venues like XOYO and Jazz Café. And now she’s Head of Marketing at Fiasco, a Bristol design agency.

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Ed Garrett

Ed is the MD and founder of The Discourse, a design agency that helps businesses and charities shift the narrative. His creative journey started at just 15, working in a record shop in the 90s in Stokes Croft and being a big part of Bristol’s underground scene. Ed simultaneously runs his own record label and a design studio right in the heart of Bristol.

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The discussion

“The music industry feels like it’s on a downturn, how do you make the design aspect accessible?”

Our first question was one poised on many of the audience’s lips. Todd jumped in and explained that when the cost of design is too high – “collaboration is key”. Amy emphasised that being accessible is crucial and that she has no desire to “gatekeep” information from emerging brands. “DIY is part of the culture, it’s how most events and sound systems started” and she intended to honour that philosophy. Working with smaller artists and brands always comes “full circle”, Ed pointed out. When you work with a grassroots organisation you get to grow alongside them and share their success. Nat made a point that “there is money in the industry, it’s just distributed unevenly” at which there was a collective nod of agreement throughout the room.

“How can creatives ensure that they’re being culturally appropriate in the way they take inspiration?”

With culture so deeply ingrained in design and music, it’s impossible to ignore. Kendra raised an important question when it comes to appropriation. Nat stressed the importance of teams understanding music and design and hiring correctly for those roles. The panellists all agreed that working to what you know is important and one attendee, Blaise, expressed that, “Bristol is a melting pot of culture and backgrounds – creatives should tap into this”.

“How does music influence your designs?”

Ed talked about the intrinsic link of album artwork and his early days as a DJ, he explained that when he was doing a set, back in the 90s, the record covers were so important for him to transition his tunes. “When you’re mixing records, the artwork becomes a part of the experience,” he said. “We’re not just talking design – we’re talking art.”

The discussion then progressed to talk about the designer’s physical process when creating and how music influences that. Todd said that listening to a lineup when designing posters is “key to getting in the right headspace”. He spoke about music having so much “emotion and intangibility” that it can be a great creative source. Amy agreed and shared an anecdote about the speaker in Hey, What?’s studio is often causing rifts amongst the team due to the eclectic mix of music tastes.

The event’s conversation highlighted the intersection of two creative realms that are central to Gather Round’s community. From the role of grassroots collaboration to the emotional energy music brings to design, the panellists left us inspired and buzzing with ideas.

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This event was one of five others that we put on to celebrate Gather Round’s fifth birthday. Previously, we’ve talked Breaking BoundariesCommunity: A Force for Good and Building Creative Resilience.  Got FOMO? Don’t worry, the ‘Gather Round Presents’ series of free events for the creative community was so popular we’ve decided to keep it going next year. Our next free event will be hosted in our brand new space early 2025. Keep your eyes peeled.

Thinking of hosting your own event? Our production spaces are up for hire and we’ve got a whole host of options to suit your needs. Whether it’s a team workshop, a community event or an intimate panel talk – we’ve got you covered. Tucked just a stone’s throw away from the city centre (although you’d never know the hustle and bustle is right outside), our production spaces have soft lighting, colourful decor and a cosy energy. The cosy meeting room is our newest room available for hire; to celebrate the launch of this space, we’re offering 50% OFF your first booking with us.  Get in touch with our events team to explore the options. Just drop Hannah an email: events@gather-round.co

Gather Round Presents | Free events for creatives

Following heaps of positive feedback since the last Gather Round free event Community: A force for good we’re back again with the last in the series this year.

Join us and a panel of experts in the cosy meeting room at Brunswick Square on Wednesday 4th December 12.30 – 2pm sign up here to get your spot on the guest list!

We’ll be asking the audience to participate in this open discussion around: ‘music and design and how the two industries influence each other.’

Introducing the panel…

Nathalie Crease

Nathalie is Head of Marketing and Partnerships at brand and digital agency, Fiasco. After studying design at Falmouth University, she fell into marketing accidentally in order to sell tickets for her music events.

Nathalie went on to establish a career in music marketing in London. Working for national and international promoters, she promoted a wide range of artists, from Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran to Jamie XX and Moodymann. Collaborating with designers, producers, artists and their agents, Nathalie has experience marketing sell-out Wembley Stadium shows, national tours, and the UK’s best club nights. Now working at Fiasco, she brings her deep knowledge of arts and culture to the team—as well as endless mix recommendations that everyone must surely be sick of by now.

Todd Sayer

Founder of Electric Mustard, with a deep passion for music and design. Todd loves how intertwined the two are, both are ‘sensory’. He sees design in many ways as ‘An extension of sound, it can create a personification that starts feeding the story before hearing anything. The design side of things can be used for both expression and communication which is great for keeping work interesting.’

He’s had the pleasure of working on projects for music brands like Official Charts; record labels such as Drumcode, Nervous, and V-Recordings; artists including Ben Howard, Dimension, and Louie Vega; as well as events and venues like Rise Festival, SXM Festival, Arcadia, Alexandra Palace, and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Amy Gettings

With over 15 years in the advertising industry, Amy Gettings co-launched Hey! What? in 2019, driven by a passion for the industries she loves music, events, tourism, food, and drink. 

The agency quickly made its mark, creating bold branding, eye-catching animations, and standout campaigns for iconic names like Glastonbury Festival, Love Saves the Day, Bristol Beacon, and renowned artists such as Eats Everything, Crazy P, and Richy Ahmed. Most recently they have launched their first TV and national campaign for Elvis Evolution, an immersive experience launching in May 2025. 

Amy and her team understand that great campaigns are more than just visuals—they’re about storytelling that resonates at every touchpoint, merchandise to digital activations to live experiences. It’s this meticulous approach to audience insight and creative execution that has cemented Hey! What?’s reputation as a go-to agency for the music, events, and entertainment sectors.

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Ed Garrett

Having worked in the creative industries for over 15 years, Ed’s background in design and music brings an insightful perspective to our event.

Ed founded The Discourse (formerly Garrett Creative) in 2017 and leads on strategy, growth and design effectiveness. His work prior to the agency in electronic music included managing a record shop on Stokes Croft in the late 90’s, running an independent record label, and working as a production engineer in studios.

Tickets went in only a few hours for our last event so sign up here now to get yourself a spot.

 

Networking? Inspiring debate? Tasty free lunch? Three big ticks.

We recently hosted another get-together in the ‘Gather Round Presents’ series, turning the cosy meeting room at our Brunswick Square co-working space into an all-out forum on the topic of ‘community’.

Joined by 30 members and non-members from various creative disciplines, the event initially centred on the experience and insights of prolific founder Jack Horner, but soon became a riveting, open conversation.

We covered some big questions and plenty of ground. What constitutes community? Common interests? Friendships? Do work colleagues qualify? Who decides? What makes community a force for good? And this sense of community in the working world (and in creativity) — is it a significant shift? Or is it a fad?

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Genuine community, shift or fad?

Jack is a big advocate of communities, and we were excited to have him share tales and takes on the idea. In the 00s, he co-founded and built the award-winning agency FRUKT, working with global organisations like Diesel, Coke and Mastercard on their role and activation in culture and entertainment. Some of the agency’s success hinged on ‘Fandom’, a sense of community which moved beyond brand affinity in a novel and compelling way — something he feels has lost its authenticity in recent years, perhaps becoming more of a ‘fad’.

Jack reflected on how FRUKT really was a genuine community. “We were all mates pulling in the same direction. We hung out with each other and perhaps the test of an authentic bond is that many of us still do.” He went on to lament the potential loss of such community in modern working practices, and said “it’s why places to convene are so important, like Gather Round and the sense of community being nurtured here”.

He’s also the driving force behind DOT DOT DOT, a community of creative sector founders and leaders offering their creative expertise and business chops to “changemakers who run charities and non-profits.” DOT DOT DOT was founded to specifically enable creative leaders to give something back using their networks, creativity and creative resources. The collective has been growing for over a decade, offering pro-bono brand work.  Jack tells us the community “thrives on creativity, energy, and connecting people”, and says “the depth of connection is absolutely key”.

Depth of connection is something of a blueprint for community, Jack highlights that ‘Moving beyond the superficial definitely suggests more of a shift than a fad.’

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Jack asked the audience for their thoughts

Attendee Karen Cording had a thought-provoking take. “This idea of ‘shift or fad’ reminds me of a concept called ‘collective effervescence’, a theory by Dr Dacher Keltner.  He discusses the fact that, when we’re together, humans’ nervous systems can sync up; it’s called ‘Co-regulation’”. Karen also said: “Whether you call it community, collective or just a gathering, something special happens when humans are together. And, for me, communities provide a space to experience this benefit. That’s a shift, surely?”

Swimming, samba and nearfield

Such a sentiment is evident in another of Jack’s pursuits. Recognising the rising challenge of loneliness in the modern world, and especially among men, Jack and his co-founders developed IceBreakers as a community to support men’s mental health through…well…community. And nature. And the potential to find balance between masculine and feminine energies. IceBreaker’s work in rural and remote areas incorporates movement, nature immersion and breath work along side the establishing of safe spaces for men to just talk openly and with some vulnerability.

He spoke warmly about Jamma De Samba, a large community samba band (with based in Bath and Frome). “It’s SUCH a broad range of members, literally anyone can join. I can’t think of any other way I’d end up in the same room as these people, and yet we have such a wonderful bond. They are my band, my mates”. Jamma play carnivals, street parties and festivals across the South West.

And finally, most recently Jack has launched a free local magazine and event listings website, nearfield. The mission has been to inspire people to experience more in the South West. As Jack puts it — “Bristol does Bristol really well, Frome does Frome really well, but there’s not anything bringing the whole region together.” The magazine aims to bring people together around the things they love, drive support for local venues, bars and other spaces, and ultimately become “TimeOut for the countryside” covering a 25 mile radius of Bath and Bristol.. Again, common interests serve as a fabulous foundation for community. If you’re not familiar with nearfield — check them out on Instagram or head into either of the Gather Round locations to find copies of the print version!

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Thriving creative communities

Evidently, a common theme in Jack’s career has been cultivating spaces for creative and purpose-led communities to thrive. On this, Andy German chipped in: “I find that, in the creative industry, we have so many common interests with our peers and colleagues. Whether it’s our love for film, music, culture, fashion or our general outlook on life, it’s quite easy — and always inspiring — to find someone with common ground. I don’t know if that’s necessarily the same in traditionally less creative sectors? For creatives, I sense that feeling more relaxed and having more in common with each other means our work environments can tend to feel like communities.”

Another attendee, Jardine Miles, said “As someone who has been building communities over the last few years, hearing Jack’s story was incredibly inspiring, but what stood out the most was the community in the room itself”.

So, what about Gather Round? Founder Jason Smith was at the event, and said “Community is about the collective, of course, but also so much about each individual. How do they use it? How do they contribute? How does the community work for them? People use Gather Round in different ways — some for strength and support; others for social connection. This event really goes to show that every community is used differently and has a different purpose for each member. You get back what you put in, and that’s up to you.”

A massive thank you to Jack Horner and to everyone who came along. Shout out also to Banh Wagon for providing the tasty lunch. We love partnering with local businesses, and these guys are gems. Those sensational stacked subs (on us!) were perfect for getting the conversation rolling a little later on.

Keep your eyes peeled on our Instagram for announcements of our upcoming events, and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to get your name on the guest list.

 

On a late-September evening at Gather Round, three incredible women shared their experiences of breaking through boundaries in their personal and professional lives. The passion from our speakers was infectious, there was a buzz in the air and everyone left Gather Round bursting with positive energy.

First to take the stage: Rema Mukena

Audio Producer, DJ and journalist, Rema has an impressive list of awards and accolades under her belt, including being named one of the most influential people in Bristol under the age of 24 by Rife Magazine.

As a Black woman, she shared her experience of navigating societal boundaries, a theme that has resonated throughout her career and life. She said, “Being a black woman in the Creative Industries is breaking boundaries”.

Rema likens these boundaries to the “houses” we build around ourselves — invisible walls that define where our limitations begin and end. They serve as metaphors for our comfort zones or safety blankets. She encouraged the audience to examine the foundations of their own houses: Are they built on self-doubt or self-assurance?

For Rema, breaking boundaries is a conscious choice, something within our control. To conclude her talk, she posed the question: What kind of house do you live in? It was an honuor to have Rema share her story and this thought provoking and uplifting analogy with us.

Next up, Miranda Roundstone

Miranda is the Head of Marketing at Grace & Green – the menstrual product company with a big mission: To make access to safe and sustainable period care a basic right. Miranda’s connection to the company she works for isn’t just her skills, it’s her lived experience. Her story began with a personal experience that would shape the way she perceived the world and particularly, periods.

Miranda spent 15 years of her life suffering, misdiagnosed and dismissed with what she now knows as PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). Learning this fueled the force to advocate for change.

She spoke widely of the systemic problems around period health and care. The culture surrounding period health needs to change, as menstruating individuals continually face the repercussions of a lack of education, the impact of shame, and various barriers related to financial status, race, gender identity and disability.

Grace & Green push for three things: Access, acceptance and education. They’ve partnered with various workplaces and councils to bring free period products to toilets and households across the country. Their packaging is bold but beautiful – no discretion or subtlety here. Plus, they offer free education for young people and adults alike.

We were all touched by Miranda’s story and as official Period Dignity Partners of Grace & Green already we fully support this mission all the way.

Emmanuella Blake Morsi’s story

With over a decade in the creative industry, Emmanuella is an award-winning Multi-Disciplinary Arts Producer and Creative Researcher. Her interpretation of breaking through boundaries was all about reimagining spaces, attitudes, and policies through radical research-led storytelling and experimental, nature-inspired work. As a queer, black woman Emmanuella is championing marginalised communities and intersectionality and called this, “giving a voice to the voiceless”.

Emmanuella recently took part in the Resourcing Racial Justice programme and retreat as a Non-Exec Director of Rising Arts Agency, whose overall aims are to normalise and incorporate paid reparative rest days as part of emotionally-sensitive or intersectionality-informed work. It’s now something we regularly offer at Rising, and she is trying to incorporate as part of her budgeted freelance work.

Through her involvement with Watershed and Pervasive Media Studio’s ‘Alternative Technologies for a Just Transition’ programme, Watershed have now started to offer and implement paid reparative rest days to their PM Studio resident members and programmes.

On top of this, she’s also been awarded a fellowship with the Brigstow Institute and Cabot Institute for the Environment. Over a period of ten months she’ll be working to form a core inter-disciplinary group to collaborate with the community and other stakeholders to consider climate change and our response to the climate emergency. If you are interested in working with her on this mission you can register your interest here.

She ended her speech with the ‘3Ds of Dissent’ (a framework by Karen O’Brien, Elin Selboe, and Bronwyn M. Hayward) – asking us all what type of a changemaker we are – Dutiful, Disruptive or Dangerous? A very poignant thought to leave us all with and inspiring to think of our own changemaking in this way.

Positive Drinks, pizza & positivity all round

Between the awe-inspiring chats with our guests, everyone tucked into some seriously delicious pizza from local legends, Pizzarova plus some deliciously tasty ‘grown up’ non-alcoholic drinks from our sponsor Positive Drinks. The vibe in our bright, spacious Brunswick Square space was perfect for casual networking, where people could connect, share thoughts and enjoy the evening.

The Gather Round Presents series of free events is designed to give back to the local creative community. Sign up to the Gather Round newsletter to be the first to hear about the next event coming up on 23rd October!

We’re excited to share our brand new flexible, affordable package that will make it possible for more people to enjoy our bright, airy first floor space at our Brunswick Square location.

Introducing: Flexi Plus…

Over the past few months we’ve been in constant communication with our members, listening to their stories and feedback on the challenges they’ve been facing. There’s no doubt it’s been a tough year for creatives, we hear you. One thing that’s stood out to us is that people value flexibility; now more than ever.

The first floor at our Brunswick Square location boasts beautiful, large Georgian sash windows, which floods the space with natural light even on a dull day. The space itself is already home to a group of like minded creatives who give the place it’s unique energy.

The Flexi Plus package includes a designated desk in our light-filled first floor space at Brunswick Square plus:

Plus of course, all the amazing member benefits included in our other packages – free yoga classes, wellness practitioner on site once a month, member breakfasts from Farro bakery, many free member events (summer and winter parties, wine and cheese evenings, industry networking events and more!).

A space where creativity thrives

We proudly stand by our mission to create a space where a creative community can thrive. Collaborations between members happen daily – it’s just the nature of things when you bring a group of creative minds together.

Gather Round is created by creatives for creatives and for all who work in creative industries. It’s more than a co-working space, it’s a growing network of like-minded professionals that go to work everyday and sit, write, design, consult and hang out. Soaking up the energy, passion and positivity from the ideas and expertise of others.

And for those who don’t know already, BCI members get 10% off any membership package at Gather Round for the first 6 months.

For info on all our membership packages take a look at our memberships page or book a tour. Come on in for a coffee and chat, we’d love to meet you!

After the huge success of our last big event, ‘Building Creative Resilience’ we’re ready to take the stage for part three of ‘Gather Round Presents’, a series of free events designed to bring the local creative community together.

On Thursday 26th September, we’ll show a warm welcome to our four inspirational speakers as they delve into their stories of how they overcame societal barriers and smashed through glass ceilings to come out on top!

We’re honoured to be joined by…

Rema Mukena, Audio Producer and DJ

Rema is a woman of many talents, and awards. At just 24 years old she was named one of the most influential people in Bristol by Rife Magazine and one of the most inspiring Black journalists in the UK by Behind Local News in 2020. Pressing on from her previous accolades though, Rema has carved herself an even more prominent seat in the Bristol creative landscape as she expands her DJing career across multiple iconic music venues such as The Love Inn, Lakota and Lost Horizon. Alongside getting people dancing, she gets people listening, as Rema currently works as an Audio Producer with the team at 18Sixty, working out of our Brunswick Sq location as a Flexi member. We love you Rema!

Miranda Roundstone, Head of Marketing at Grace & Green

With a career spanning 10 years in the marketing industry, working with some incredible brands such as Pukka Herbs and Greenhouse Communications, Miranda is at the top of her game. Now advocating for education around menstrual health as Grace & Green’s Head of Marketing, Miranda recently spearheaded the overhaul of their visual identity, breaking the taboo around periods. Go Miranda!

Laura Lewis-Paul, Founder of Saffron Records

As Founder and Creative Director of music-initiative, Saffron Records, Laura knows a thing or two about breaking through glass ceilings. Laura’s mission to balance the scales in the music industry is one of personal passion and has since honed her commitment to creating a more equitable space for womxn in the industry. Working alongside global music tech companies, such as Spitfire Audio, Pioneer DJ and Abbey Road Studios, Laura is constantly searching for ways to increase the incredibly low percentage of womxn (5%), with only 2.6% back womxn, working in the industry today. We can’t wait to hear about her journey in detail.

Emmanuella Blake-Morsi, Multi-disciplinary Arts Producer

If you’re a Bristol native, you can’t go far without bumping into someone who knows Emmanuella, a creative powerhouse and award-winning artist, excelling in her field. Emmanuella recently left a 4-year long role as Production & Partnerships Manager at Bristol-based environmental communications agency Enviral to engage in personal projects full-time. Specialising in purpose-driven creative across film, photography, writing, graphics, sound and immersive events, her most recent project ‘Where Do We Go When We____?’ is a collaborative project aimed to normalise climate engagement for marginalised groups by exploring creative tech prototypes that create neurodiverse-friendly, multi-sensory experiences, using access as a creative tool to connect people to nature. Emmanuella’s wealth of experience is sure to prove great listening.

If that hasn’t given you enough reason to join us, we’ll also be providing free pizza from local legends Pizzarova, delivered by sustainable delivery company Foodstuff, as well as free drinks from our sponsor Positive Drinks Co – the only place to get the best non-alcoholic drinks! Alongside this we’ll have an open bar and plenty of time for a chat in our gorgeous ground-floor event space.

It goes without saying that you won’t want to miss this one and we’re sure it’s going to be another sell out, so get your name on the list quickly (we expect the spaces to book up quickly!) and we’ll see you soon!

Sign up here to get your name on the guest list!

A few spaces left for the 1 x week free trial in the resi area at Gather Round, Brunswick Square.

Throughout August and September we’re offering 1 x weeks membership, free of charge, no strings attached to anyone who works in the creative industry. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be a member here at Gather Round, now is your time to try!

With a thriving community of like-minded individuals and packed events calendar, we’re more than just a desk.

Every programme, pillow and perk comes from a focus on enabling creativity and community. Curating flexible co-working spaces that allows professional creatives to bounce off each other – so everyone can do their best work, feel motivated and enjoy the work in process every day of the week.

What makes Gather Round the best co-working space for creatives?

With over 250 creatives calling Gather Round home it’s safe to say we’re packed to the rafters. From graphic designers, writers and directors to photographers and web designers we hold host to the gamut of Bristol’s creatives. It makes for stimulating conversation in the kitchen and we love bringing everyone together over monthly breakfasts and after-work drinks. Our Campfire Talks see members share their latest project or expertise on a specialist subject over a coffee and a pastry on the sofas.

Sign up here to book your free weeks trial in September.

We can’t wait to meet you!

On Thursday 29th August the very talented Hetty Blair will be hosting a tie-dye workshop at Gather Round’s Brunswick Square location, Bristol.

Come and join a community of creatives and discover the secrets to revamping your old stuff using tie-dye techniques.

It’s crazy how much waste is created by the fashion industry – a staggering 92 billion tonnes of waste each year, with 87% of purchased clothes ending up in landfills.

Let’s make a difference by getting creative and up-cycling our old items. Tie-dyeing your old clothes is just one of the many ways to revamp old stuff.

We will be doing demonstrations on reverse dying and coloured dying techniques.

Please bring two items that you’d like to dye. One item should be white and the other should be dark. Your options for items to bring include a tea towel, t-shirt, hat, socks, or canvas bag.

This event is open to both Gather Round members plus also the wider creative community and of course all BCI members. It’s also conveniently the same day as our end of month drinks so the fridge will be stocked with free drinks for all who attend, come and join us we’d love to see you there!

Sign up on Eventbrite to get your tickets.

 

 

Come and try the resident space at our Brunswick Square location for one week, free of charge, no strings attached…

Created by creatives for creatives, Gather Round is more than a co-working space, it’s a growing network of like-minded professionals that go to work everyday and sit, write, design, consult and hang out.

Our residents room at Brunswick Square features beautiful Georgian windows that let in heaps of natural light. Our resident members benefit from their own fixed desk and a space to call their own whilst also having full access to the rest of the building (plus of course the packed events schedule!).

As a creative co-working space, we’re unique in the fact that we’re purposely built to cater for freelancers and businesses in the creative industries.

Fill out the form in the link below tell us a bit about yourself and one of our community managers will be in touch to book you in for your free trial in our resident area at Brunswick Square. We can’t wait to meet you!

Book your free week

For more info on our Brunswick Square location check out our locations page on our website.

On a warm June night, we launched our brand new event series with an inspiring and timely talk on “Building Creative Resilience”. Our inaugural event sold out in no time, and it was so motivating to see such a creative and varied group gather with marketers, writers, photographers, agency owners and designers making up the enthusiastic crowd.

To explore this hot topic, we brought together the great and good of the Bristol creative scene to share their rich knowledge and varied experiences on creative resilience. Our panel featured experts from freelance and small and big agency backgrounds to share a wide perspective. With plenty of time to mingle, enjoy complimentary drinks and eat delicious pizza, the atmosphere was lively, open and excited for the evening ahead.

Expertise in the room

Spencer Buck, the talented co-founder of Bristol-based design agency Taxi Studio, inspired and entertained the crowd with advice on the importance of remaining resilient in tough times. In an uncertain economic climate, it is easy for clients to be hesitant and opt for an easier path, but Spencer called on creatives to be bold, to stay true to themselves and to believe in the power of their creative integrity.

A memorable quote ‘Beware the lollipop of mediocracy, lick it once and you’ll suck forever’. A powerful metaphor of the perils of complacency!

Panel discussions

After Spencer’s inspiring talk, the event transitioned into a dynamic panel discussion featuring Kendra Futcher of Writing + Thinking and Gareth Evans of 18Sixty. This immensely talented panel tackled a range of questions from the audience, delving into topics such as managing budgets, preserving the essence of creativity, maintaining a balance between client demands and creative integrity, and the controversial issue of whether or not to pitch for free. The conversations were genuine discussions, and the panel fostered an open environment for engaging insights.

Vibes

The evening kicked off with ample opportunity for attendees to mingle and network before the main event. Stimulating conversations soon worked up everyone’s appetites, leading us to call on Bristol favourites, Pizzarova, to provide fresh margarita pizzas for all. Meanwhile, the fully stocked bar served up chilled beers and drinks. A special shout-out to our event sponsors Positive Drinks, for sharing their refreshing alcohol-free IPA and cider to a very grateful crowd!

Our event space is light, airy full of character and flexible. For information on private hire costs and availability get in touch.