Spike Island Workspace is launching a new Starter Desk scheme, offering discounted co-working memberships for emerging creative practitioners looking to establish themselves in Bristol.

For a limited time, successful applicants will receive a substantial discount on a designated desk for their first three months, giving them the opportunity to build their practice within one of the city’s most diverse creative communities.

Whether you’re developing a freelance career or growing a new creative business, at Spike Island Workspace you’ll work alongside artists, designers, filmmakers, architects, writers, makers and other creative professionals, with opportunities to connect, collaborate and become part of a thriving cultural community.

Who can apply?

The Starter Desk scheme is open to people who are either:

• Within two years of completing a further or higher education course in any creative discipline.
• Within the first two years of self-employment or building an independent creative practice or business.

Successful applicants must begin their membership by February 2027.

What you’ll gain

Joining Spike Island Workspace means more than having your own desk. You’ll become part of one of the UK’s leading centres for contemporary art, working alongside a vibrant community of artists, makers and creative professionals.

As a Workspace member, you’ll benefit from:

• Bristol’s largest creative ecosystem, with over 70 artists’ studios and a world-renowned programme of ambitious contemporary art.
• A diverse creative community of practitioners from a wide range of disciplines, spanning every stage of their careers.
• Access to specialist making facilities, including workshops, pottery kilns and editing suites available through our wider creative community.
• A year-round programme of talks, workshops and events designed to develop your creative and professional practice, with opportunities to learn from some of the UK’s leading contemporary artists and arts professionals.
• A dedicated workspace within a supportive, collaborative environment, helping you build connections, develop new ideas and grow your practice.

Whether you’re taking your first steps as a freelancer, launching a creative business or establishing an independent artistic practice, the Starter Desk scheme offers an affordable way to become part of Bristol’s creative community.

Why we’re introducing the scheme

Breaking into the creative industries can be challenging. Rising studio costs, the isolation of working from home and limited access to professional networks often make it difficult for emerging practitioners to establish sustainable careers.

The Starter Desk scheme has been developed to help remove some of these barriers by providing an affordable route into a professional creative workspace. It is designed to support early-career creatives at a pivotal moment in their development, while encouraging a more diverse and representative creative community at Spike Island.

We particularly welcome applications from people who are currently underrepresented within Bristol’s cultural sector.

About Spike Island Workspace

Located on the ground floor of Spike Island, Workspace is home to a growing community of creative businesses and independent practitioners. Members benefit from flexible desk space, meeting rooms, high-speed internet, kitchen facilities, on-site café, reception services and the opportunity to work within one of the UK’s leading centres for contemporary art. Workspace is designed to help creative businesses grow while connecting them with the wider artistic community at Spike Island.