AWOL studios

ABOUT

AWOL Studios is a buzzing, creative hub in the heart of Ancoats. Providing flexible, affordable space for your studio, workshop or office is our mission. With 84 units ranging from 85 sq ft to over 800 sq ft we’ve got spaces to suit everyone. Our philosophy is very simple; we’re here to accommodate and support creatives from all backgrounds, no matter what discipline, practice or level of experience. AWOL is home to fine artists, fashion designers, tattooists, filmmakers, writers, jewellers, theatre performers, sculptors, photographers and many more, and we’re proud to provide a safe and secure base for such an extensive network of busy bods. Whether you’re a professional freelancer who needs your own studio to create or an enthusiastic hobbyist who just needs some extra space, AWOL is the best place to do that safely at your own pace. With a laid-back, welcoming attitude and a whole spectrum of other like-minded folks as your neighbours, it’s an artistic community brimming over with possibilities.
Find out more about our studios here.
Our home is Hope Mill, a beautiful grade II* listed building built in 1824 as a cotton spinning and fustian weaving mill for Joseph Clarke & Sons. Over the next 177 years it has had many other guises, from engineering works to dog bed factory, gradually and gracefully falling into decline and disrepair until it was rescued by Hope Mill Partnership in 2001. With AWOL being the first business to lay down its artistic roots in Hope Mill in 2007 it has become one of the most important centres for the arts in Manchester, allowing for a natural regeneration of this important historic building and attracting a myriad of other creative businesses. The final piece of the jigsaw saw the mill’s old engine room refurbished and transformed to provide a fitting setting for Hope Mill Theatre and The Engine Room Café & Bar.

STUDIOS

All our studios are secure and warm and make the most of the natural symmetry and light of Hope Mill. Many of our studios have stunning views over the surrounding area of Ancoats and the Ashton Canal, and onwards to Manchester city centre and The Pennines. It’s a great place to soak up some inspiration! Each studio is self-contained with high, vaulted ceilings, 2m high windows, central heating, smoke detectors and sprinklers and everyone has access to our superfast free WiFi service. We encourage all residents to personalise their studios, meaning when it comes to putting your stamp on your space virtually anything goes (as long as it can be reversed by future residents). A lot of people do their best work in quiet, private spaces so it’s very easy for AWOLites to close their doors and immerse themselves in their own worlds. Each floor has its own toilets and communal area which are regularly cleaned and there is 24 hour access, 7 days a week so whenever the mood seizes you, you can make the most of it! Our only restriction (and as much as we want you to feel at home) is please don’t use AWOL as your main residence!

ACCESS

Each of our 4 floors are interconnected and can be accessed by both the passenger lift and the goods lift. Hope Mill has its own large, free car park and is easily reached by public transport – we’re 300m from New Islington Metrolink station (1 stop from Piccadilly train station), are served by many bus routes and are only a 10 minute walk down the canal to the city centre.

TERMS

Unless agreed otherwise your studio is let on a rolling month by month licence. This means there are no fixed terms and your licence runs indefinitely, offering you maximum flexibility. We have kept the licence as simple as possible and it must be signed on or before the day you move in. The licence fee must be paid in advance on the 1st of each month by Bacs, online payment or standing order. The licence fee covers use of your designated studio and the common areas on all floors occupied by AWOL at Hope Mill. It includes electricity, business rates, water rates, central heating, cleaning of toilets and common areas, waste removal, buildings and public liability insurance and free use of the Wi-Fi service provided by Telcom. Contents insurance is the only service not included in your licence fee.
To secure a studio which is offered to to you, you must send us a deposit equivalent to one month’s licence fee, held until you leave. We may ask for proof of identification and address.
If you wish to leave AWOL then you must give us at least one month’s notice in writing or by email before the end of the month you want to leave in (your moving out date will always be the last day of the month). If all payments are up to date and so long as you leave your studio undamaged, clean and tidy, with all rubbish and goods removed, your deposit will be returned within 7 working days of your leaving date.