A previously vacant city centre unit has been transformed into a vibrant hub for events and lifestyle products with grant support from Derby City Council.
Named The Agora, the historic building located at 30 Sadler Gate is the latest business to benefit from the Council’s Vacant to Vibrant scheme, receiving £50,000 in grant funding to help bring the empty unit in the Cathedral Quarter back into use.
The Agora will offer a variety of opportunities for businesses, providing a permanent headquarters for an established leadership development business, working with clients in the UK and internationally. The upper floors will be reserved for professional meetings, training, and consultancy services, whilst the ground floor will offer a vibrant array of curated productivity and lifestyle items for sale, from journals, notebooks and planners to water bottles and more.
A studio is also available on-site for customers to design and hand-make their own journals, notebooks, and planners with a variety of high-quality papers sourced internationally from Germany, Ukraine, and Japan. The ground floor also features workspace facilities and a 100-square-metre events space available for hire outside of the traditional shop opening times.
To celebrate the transformation, The Agora will host an open day for the public on Saturday 10 October from 10am to 10pm. Visitors will be able to explore the building and take part in a range of activities including upcycling, bookbinding, printing, and photography, as well as watch a fashion show. A VIP reception will take place between 1pm and 3pm with a special visit from the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Jonathan Smale.
Vacant to Vibrant is one of the several ways in which the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) supports business initiatives in Derby. The project supports the reactivation of empty units in the city centre. Businesses that have benefited so far include The Tannery, Craftcore, and Flo Skatepark, with more to come.
Councillor Gurkiran Kaur, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Culture and Tourism, said:
The Agora offers something different for Derby, combining a business space and creative experiences with unique lifestyle products and journal-making within one building. Projects like this help to strengthen Derby city centre’s position as a vibrant city which provides the opportunities for businesses to expand, increase footfall, and create new opportunities for people to visit, work, and invest in.
Laura Kaye Tomlinson, founder of The Agora, said:
The ground floor at 30 Sadler Gate is a huge space, and from the beginning we knew we didn't want simply to fill it with more offices. We want The Agora to be a building that can have different lives at different times of the day, and the Open Day is our first chance to demonstrate that.
The open day is free to attend, and visitors will receive 10% off all showcase products and studio experiences purchased on the day.