News / Hamilton House
Final plea over future of Hamilton House
Campaigners and artists are fighting up to the final hour for the future of Hamilton House, as the community hub is handed over to new managers.
In a last-ditch plea, a few residents and supporters took to the streets of Stokes Croft on Monday, putting up posters in a bid to let people know the current situation with the building.
But, despite months of campaigning, the new management came into force on Tuesday after Coexist – the social enterprise that has run the community hub for the last decade – was effectively given 24 hours notice to leave.
is needed now More than ever
The building’s owners Connolly and Callaghan (C&C) deny claims that the building’s former custodians were given just a day to move out, saying discussions have been ongoing for months.
Many tenants view things differently and a number have signed an open letter, stating they won’t be signing a lease with the new managers.
One of the designers renting a studio space asked to remain anonymous as she spoke to Bristol24/7 about the situation on Monday. “People need to know what’s going on,” she said.
“I don’t want to go quietly. I don’t think any of us wants to go quietly. People tend to think ‘oh, it’s just a work space, it’s just a desk, people change jobs all the time’, but it’s not like that here at all. It’s a lot more than just coming in to work.”
Artists make one final plea to save Hamilton House
Coexist and supporters have battled for more than a year to save Hamilton House, amid mixed messages and talk of plans to redevelop part of the building.
C&C dealt what was viewed by many as a potentially devastating blow in August, when they announced plans to oust the social enterprise and bring in a new management company.
Following months of campaigning and a protest that saw hundreds take to the streets, it is finally crunch time, as the new organisation, Forward Space, officially takes over running the community hub.
C&C says this is the start of the future for Hamilton House, but a number of current residents are unprepared to accept the new terms of their lease.
The designer says that as a single mum, she now must prepare to shut up shop during the busiest period of her working year, Christmas time, after working from Hamilton House for the past ten years.
“I only found out last night that they’re not actually going to let us back in the building as of tomorrow morning unless I sign this contract,” she told Bristol24/7 on Monday.
“And it means that I’ve got to have everything out today.
“They’re changing all the access codes, all the fobs, everything’s going to be changed tomorrow morning, so no one will be able to come in unless they sign these contracts.”
She said that she will not be signing the contract because she doesn’t trust C&C.
She doesn’t know what she will be doing next, but will have to find somewhere new to set up her business, away from the close friends that she has made at Hamilton House.
Coexist are no longer managing the creative work space
C&C says the handover of management has been discussed with Coexist over the past two-and-a-half months, and a financial support package agreed to help with restructuring costs.
The company says that Coexist has been offered a sub-lease of community outreach spaces at a significantly subsidised rent, until the end of the year, so that they can go ahead with planned events they had already arranged up until December 31.
Fran Connolly, from C&C, said: “Forward Space has a proven pedigree of managing successful community workhubs and we believe they have the expertise to continue the development of Hamilton House as a viable, creative, hub that benefits the local community, whilst a long-term solution is sought.
He added: “C&C has financially supported Coexist for nine years but cannot commit to continuing this without a financially viable plan.”
Residents have campaigned for over a year to keep their studios
An architect who has been renting a space at Hamilton House for a year came out to join the small demonstration on Monday.
Also asking to keep his identity anonymous, he said that he doesn’t know what he’s going to do next, telling Bristol24/7 he has got a space at home that he can work at but “it’s a bit soul destroying to go from a vibrant, social space and community hub”.
Read more: ‘We need to secure Hamilton House for this generation’
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