The University of Lincoln is proud to be part of a project that will bring one of Lincoln’s most iconic buildings back to life, and turn it into a much-needed creative space for the region.
In 2023, a former hotel on St Mary’s Street will reopen as The Barbican Creative Hub in a partnership between the University and Lincolnshire Co-op.
The development is supported by funding from Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone and the Government’s Town Deal Fund.
The Barbican Creative Hub will bring the historic building back into use as a community creative space by providing a gallery, a café and creative workspaces to super-charge the growth and productivity of the county’s creative industries.
The project was born from a county-wide assessment of the need to support and encourage the growth of the creative sector in Lincolnshire. More than potential venues were considered for the Creative Hub, but the positioning and architectural significance of the former Barbican Hotel, made it the ideal choice.
Plans for The Barbican Creative Hub feature a public-facing ground floor that includes a café, gallery, retail space and an office. The gallery will provide a space where artists can create and exhibit work that will engage directly with visitors. The café will offer hospitality in comfortable and stylish surroundings.
The first three floors of the building will offer a mix of studios for creative freelancers, working spaces, and a dedicated members’ room. The Barbican Creative Hub will offer an attractive membership scheme that will enable access to specialist workspaces, networking opportunities, and support programmes to encourage business growth.
This will all be available alongside flexible spaces that can either be used for meetings, presentations and displays, with excellent technical services and super-fast wi-fi throughout the building.
Prof Neal Juster, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said:
“This exciting development of such an iconic building in Lincoln will create many new opportunities within the creative sector, and drive growth in creativity for the city and region.
“The creative industry is home to businesses of all sizes, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs regionally, nationally and all over the world.
“The Barbican Creative Hub will enable the University to support rapid growth in the creative sector, with more opportunities to further encourage and harness local talent that will have such a positive impact on our wonderful city and community.”