ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case of The Loft. The Loft was an autonomous space located in a disused retail unit in The Square Shopping Centre within the city centre where nearly 90 creative young people had the chance to work, network, showcase, promote and exhibit their work over a six-month period in 2014. This was a project aimed at supporting aspiring young creatives to develop their skills in a mutually supportive environment, with support sessions and weekly meetings where they could present current work projects and receive feedback from their peers. Being able to showcase their work to the public in an affordable ‘pop-up’ arts space in the centre of Birmingham also served to make the city centre accessible to young creatives who would otherwise be excluded because of their limited resources. It also facilitated networking and the building of connections with other cultural, business and public sector organisations.
