Collins Street Studios unveiled in the CBD

A vacant office space in the heart of the CBD has been transformed into a new creative co-working hub.

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks officially opened Collins Street Studios on May 9, which has been created in a partnership between the City of Melbourne’s creative spaces program and the state government.

Formerly an empty office floor at 271 Collins St, the facility offers more than 1100 square metres of affordable space for creative organisations and practitioners to work, collaborate and connect.

“We’re proud to back Collins Street Studios, which offer our creative talent the space they need to grow their practice and businesses while boosting Melbourne’s reputation as Australia’s creative and cultural heart,” Mr Brooks said.

With space for more than 100 creative businesses, 50 individuals, microbusinesses and organisations have so far taken up residency, including leading digital games company Summer fall Studios, street dance company Cypher Culture, architecture and heritage group Robin Boyd Foundation, and publisher No More Poetry.

Collins Street Studios is managed under the City of Melbourne’s Creative Spaces program, which aims to provide affordable spaces for the creative sector.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the hub was about unlocking affordable workspace for local creatives and backing more businesses and workers.

“Creative Spaces is about partnerships, collaboration and innovation, connecting landlords with vacant spaces and the creative sector – and we’re proud to be doing what counts,” Cr Capp said.

The facility is supported through the $200 million Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a partnership between the state government and the City of Melbourne, as well as funding from Creative Victoria’s Creative Neighbourhoods Infrastructure Support Program.

Collins Street Studios complements The Guild creative co-working space, which launched in 2017 inside a residential building on Sturt St, Southbank, another partnership between the council and the state government.

The Robin Boyd Foundation said it was delighted to join the community at Collins Street Studios.

“As a micro not-for-profit, the initiative has provided a dedicated space outside our iconic modernist house museum, Walsh St, to develop our program, which increases community awareness, dialogue, understanding, and participation in Australian architecture and design,” it said. •