A unique business which delivers interpretation design services for visitor attractions has relocated its studio headquarters to Dean Clough in Halifax, expanding culture-led business enterprise at the 22-acre, award-winning destination.
The Creative Core has agreed a deal to occupy a 1,500 sq ft unit within the historic F Mill at Dean Clough, relocating a team of twelve from Huddersfield.
Established in 2010 to deliver specialist interpretation design services for museums, heritage sites, libraries and cultural attractions, The Creative Core also operates its own in-house bespoke joinery business which employs a further 30 people at its manufacturing site in Boothtown.
Core’s clients include national organisations like the National Trust, the Science Museum, Amgueddfa Cymru and the RNLI, besides those closer to home, including the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds, Bolton Art Gallery, Library & Museum, and the Peace Museum in Bradford.
Nichola Ward, creative director at The Creative Core, said: “Dean Clough was the obvious location for us to relocate to. The venue is well known for its cultural offering, with a mix of successful galleries, a theatre, art houses, media, and design businesses which is a great fit for The Creative Core.
“Representing a legacy of industrial heritage and innovation, Dean Clough provides the perfect setting for us to showcase our services and ethos to visiting clients. The site ticks all boxes in terms of accessibility, amenity and wellbeing for our own team, and the Dean Clough team have been incredibly accommodating, with great flexibility and warmth.”
Jeremy Hall, chairman and managing director of Dean Clough, added, “We are thrilled to welcome The Creative Core to the Dean Clough family. The business model is truly exciting and blends perfectly with the innovative design orientated businesses we have here.
“For more than 40 years, we have invested in the values of placemaking, creating an attractive destination for business enterprise alongside a vibrant and diverse mix of amenity and cultural experiences. This, alongside the indisputable carbon benefits that the reuse of historic buildings brings for sustainable practice, is fundamental to attracting business occupiers.”
Dean Clough, which recently won the much coveted ‘Development of the Year’ at the 2024 Placemaking Awards, is one of Yorkshire’s largest centres for the business of arts and culture, supporting commercial enterprise, educational practice, public engagement and innovation across a broad spectrum.
The mills are home to the Arts Charity at Dean Clough (ACDC), which also won a Placemaking award, supporting inclusive arts, business and education programmes. They house a unique subterranean theatre, the world-renowned theatre company, Northern Broadsides, and one of the largest private art collections in the UK with revolving exhibitions, free to the public, across six galleries.
Last year Dean Clough was selected to host the ultimate awards finale for The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) as its first venture outside London. BUFF is making its presence more permanent with a commitment to run the awards again this year and a number of short film screenings on site. Dean Clough is the venue for Square Lens Alliance meetings and the Halifax Philharmonic Club season and has also hosted award winning TV and film productions including Happy Valley, the Gallows Pole and Marvel’s Secret Invasion, giving substance to the region’s ‘Culturedale’ label.
Dean Clough is already home to around 150 organisations employing over 3,000 people. In the last 18 months new deals have been secured with occupiers on more than 110,000 sq ft of space with a further 110,000 sq ft of work, office, and leisure space in discussion or under offer at Dean Clough. A recent highlight includes Calderdale College taking a 12,835 sq ft space for what will become Mill Studios, a state-of-the-art digital creative skills hub.
Considerable investment in renovating more of the unique spaces within the historic mill buildings has also attracted many restaurants, bars and leisure venues as well independent retail operators offering beauty, health and wellbeing, and home furnishings.
Dean Clough currently offers energy efficient Grade A workspaces up to 50,000 sq ft as well as serviced offices and retail units from 50 sq ft. The destination is located on the edge of Halifax town centre, between Leeds and Manchester, and just 15 minutes from the M62 with direct train links to Leeds, Manchester, York and London.
