Let's buy a building: the adventures of a community co-operative. Inverness, Highland, Scotland
Food, Words, Music, Art, Dance, Drama, Film, Photography, Creche, Flea Market, Events, Exhibitions. Keep It Under Your Hat is a group of people who formed to develop the creation of an Arts and Cultural Hub in Inverness, to be run on a co–operative basis. Early feasibility work involved site possibilities and discussions of purpose and strategy. Expressions of interest in a café, crèche, studio,
office, rehearsal, exercise, exhibition and performance space were obtained. The principal drivers behind the project, connected to requirements identified above are: affordability, accessibility and networking with other local like minded businesses and organisations. The idea is similar to other existing (highly successful projects) such as Out of the Blue Arts Trust, in Edinburgh and The Arts Complex, in Glasgow. In 2013 a group of people from different creative backgrounds got together to discuss, and then seriously pursue the idea of a visible cultural hub, in the belief that Inverness has the right creative and cultural critical mass to support such an endeavour. Such a hub could help to foster a vibrant creative community and help provide much needed opportunities for local people to participate in the community and the arts. After development of an inclusive constitution, the trust in its new hub seeks to provide affordable spaces for hire, for events, activities, workshops and rehearsals along with a community café, and crèche facilities. There may also be potential for such a facility to become a local beacon of best practice in renewable energy consumption and energy efficiency. KIUYH seeks to create a new platform in Inverness for people to learn and share ideas. Feasibility funding of £8,200 has been secured from the Big Lottery, Investing in Ideas Fund to explore the viability of 13 Harbour Road, Inverness - with potential usable space of around 1,655 square meters, as being suitable for such a facility. Elements of this funding are also being used to develop the skills of the steering group and to produce a comprehensive proposal including a business plan. Once the business plan is in place, further grant funding to support the next phase of the project will be sought from the Big Lottery Fund, Enterprise Ready Fund, Creative Scotland, The Climate Challenge Fund and The Energy Saving Trust. The business plan will also provide a basis for further discussion with development bodies such as Highland Opportunity Limited and Social Investment Scotland around the potential for low interest loan finance. As the Cultural Hub is proposed to be run on a co-operative basis, funds may also be raised through members investment capital.
