Allendale Forge Studios Art & Media Centre is an artist led purpose built space, developed on the site of the old Allendale blacksmiths’ forge on Allendale Market Place. The ground floor includes a gallery space, café, 2 studios and a gift shop. Upstairs on the 1st floor there is a recording studio, conference/meeting room with a digital hub and secure business broadband, a workshop hub studio and a variety of other creative business studios including Mike Vickers, painter, Deborah Parkin – photographer, Bazaar – Vintage and retro reclaimed furniture, Hedz Natural Beauty and our two scholarship studios, Card Couture and Firefly Forest School and Allendale Forge Bicycle Hire.
Allendale Forge Studios is run by Allendale Creative Artists CIC, an independent artist lead social enterprise. Our aim is to encourage, facilitate and aid the establishment and development of creative practitioners and musicians through our active membership and Network membership. The organisation was set up on 2006. It’s official office is based at Allendale Forge Studios. We are a self-sustainable, securing minimal funding to run events. We promote art, music, education, creative businesses and sensitive tourist development.
AWARDS
2008 – Winners of the North East Business Awards – Cultural & Creative Business
2008 – Norht East Woman Entrepenuer of the Year Awards – runner up
2008 – One North East Enterprising Britain Competition – Runner Up
2007 – Best New UK Social Enterprise – short listed
2007 – The organisation represented the ‘Arts in Business’ for the judging of the Calor Village of The
Year that Allendale later won.
2006 – Winner of the Scarman Trust Community Champions Award (Youth Project)