OPDC and Ealing Council launch new affordable workspace in Acton & Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone

Type:
Press release
Category:
Communities
Area:
Ealing, North Acton, Park Royal

On Friday 12th May, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and Ealing Council celebrated the official launch of the Park Royal Open Access Workshop (POW) as part of the exciting programme of events for London Craft Week.

Funded by OPDC and Ealing Council through the Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone, the workshop provides affordable workspace for local creatives in Park Royal. It offers shared equipment and facilities, as well as flexible space to hold meetings, events, workshops, and activities.

Based in EX2 studio in Park Royal, the space includes four large work benches, for use at any time and workshop classes will host up to 14 people. It will be open for the next 18 months and is available for anyone to sign-up, book and use. Those interested in using the space can sign up through POW. 

The workshop has been built from pallets and materials used in local film sets, supplied by Re-Made in Park Royal, a new sustainable start-up, also launching as part of London’s Craft Week, which connects artists and makers with waste and surplus materials from local industries.

The workshop launch event saw local creatives, businesses, artists and the community join together to celebrate Park Royal’s creative industries. Attendees included Absolute Beginners, young people who learn how to make products out of recycled local materials, who have already tried out the new workspace.

The launch of Park Royal Open Access Workshop will support the creative community by providing a sustainable, accessible, and affordable space for all.

This is the first in a series of projects funded through the Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone which will provide more opportunities for local people to start or grow their careers in the creative industries, here in Park Royal.

Having been involved in the industrial core of Park Royal for almost 30 years, I’m passionate about Park Royal and nurturing the amazing talent here through job creation, training and investment. I’m delighted to support this through these funded initiatives. It’s great to see this workspace open for the whole Park Royal community to use.

Rahul Gokhale, OPDC Board Member

Ealing is blessed with a huge amount of creative talent. These two new facilities will help to nurture this talent and give locals more opportunities to build successful careers in the arts, media, design and other creative industries.

One of our key pledges is to help deliver new jobs and spaces for local businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive. These hubs will offer the ideal environment for artists and creatives to put down roots in our borough and will nurture the creative industries in Ealing for generations to come.

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, Ealing Council’s Cabinet Member for Decent Living Incomes

Park Royal Open Access Workshop gives anyone looking to make or create something, an affordable, safe and highly equipped place to do it. This breaks down the initial barriers, like cost of space and machinery, that makers and artists have when trying to improve skills or start a business. The workshop will make a difference by helping individuals gain the confidence to create what they wouldn’t have otherwise.

Park Royal is already a hive of creativity and this is growing day by day. Park Royal Open Access Workshop will give more people the chance to be a part of this community.

Alex Rincon Delgado, Park Royal Open Access Workshop Manager

Contact the press team

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: 9am-5pm, 020 7983 5732
  • Out of hours: GLA press office, 020 7983 4000

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