Restoring The Generator Hall on Frederick St (part of the Old Art College) as an arts & culture hub for Loughborough. Due to open Spring 2025. Our original vision was to create a new creative community hub for the public and the creative industries in the four-storey former art college building on Frederick Street. This would be adjoined to a multimedia arts venue in The Generator, on Packe Street
. At the time, the team included Creative Leicestershire, Charnwood Arts, The Studio at Loughborough University, Love Loughborough BID, and supporters from Charnwood Borough Council. We undertook a feasibility study and formed a Community Interest Company (not-for-profit). We knew we needed substantial funds and that we were in for a long term project. But my goodness, we didn't know quite how long. Over the years the board has evolved, and we have made pragmatic decisions so as to keep the vision alive. We partnered with Grey Goose Ltd, a Loughborough Company, to jointly purchase the building as a whole from the University. The result is that The Generator Loughborough CIC has secured the use of The Generator ( hall and adjoining rooms) for the public, for 999 years. We have a Joint Venture Agreement with Grey Goose Ltd to jointly deliver the overall vision for the whole building and we work closely with their operating arm, Our Neighbourhood. The OAC ( The Old Arts College) is currently open and let to creative businesses and has a thriving coffee shop, Public, on the ground floor. We have nearly secured all the funding required and need just a bit more. The necessary work is mainly structural and although costly will hardly be visible and we will retain the existing character of the wonderful Generator Hall space. We are trying to find a way to make the building safe to open for a limited range of activities on an interim basis while the last bit of funding is secured and the next steps in the renovation are planned. The Generator will be the arts and culture hub that Loughborough so badly wants and needs. We will hold exhibitions, community events and arts events, workshops, performances, conferences and ceremonies. We will welcome all to our arts venue. We just hope it will be soon.
