City of Sydney seeks start-ups for new creative hub

The City of Sydney is inviting expressions of interest from cultural and creative enterprises to occupy two properties in William Street, as it seeks to create a new “creative cluster” in the city.

Two offices spaces, located at 101-111 William Street, will be available for occupation under commercial licence, for use as a managed work or incubator space, creative enterprise and/or artist co-working space.

The council is looking for organisations or individuals who have some experience in managing such spaces, and have the capacity to develop networks and connections within the area.

It’s keen to hear from organisations and people working with artists, creative practitioners, collectives, artisans, craftspeople, start-up creative enterprises and cultural organisations.

“These buildings offer a range of tenancies across basement, street and aboveground levels, with some scope for on-street activation,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore wrote in a blog.

“I proposed that the City [of Sydney] investigate a mix of both commercial and creative use, offering rents that range from partially subsidised to fully commercial, to encourage the growth of a creative hub.”

“A mix of tenant types would ensure these buildings provide broad social, cultural and community benefits, while generating income to cover the building’s operational costs.”

Moore said artists face “real challenges” living and working in most major cities, which have few available and affordable spaces.

“The City’s helping address this with affordable spaces for creative projects,” she said.

If the William Street venues are transformed into co-working spaces, they’ll join the likes of Fishburners, Investon, WhatSpace and Huddle Spaces.

In February this year, Fishburners launched a second space for start-ups as part of a deal with the City of Sydney.

The council leased the space to Fishburners as part of its “Making Space for Creativity program.

Fishburners now has two venues – one on Harris Street in Ultimo and one on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst.

The City of Sydney has also thrown its support behind 66 Meetups, which launched in June.