Manchester Craft & Design Centre

What Manchester Craft & Design Centre does

Manchester Craft & Design Centre (MCAD), registered charity no. 1173366 and private limited company no. 2572530, is a Manchester-based creative hub operating from a two-storey Victorian building at 17 Oak Street in the Northern Quarter. Founded in 1980 (with operating history referenced as over 40 years), the Centre houses approximately 20-21 independent maker studios across two floors, where artisans in residence create and sell handmade textiles, jewellery, accessories, ceramics, glass, prints and homeware directly to the public. The organisation runs a free exhibitions programme showcasing regional, national and international craft talent, a regular workshop series held in the ground-floor Space2 venue, an on-site English-style cafe (Fred's Cafe) operating Tuesday-Saturday, and a Maker Support programme including the Hands On bursary for underrepresented makers and a Creative Business Workshop series.

The business model is multi-stream and typical of a UK craft charity: studio rental income from resident makers, retail commissions and direct-to-consumer sales of handmade goods, fee-based workshop tickets (priced at £45-£70 per session), venue hire for events and exhibitions, cafe food and beverage sales, and charitable donations via the Kate Day Fund, Radcliffe Trust grants, Arts Council England funding, and Manchester City Council support. Distribution is anchored by a single physical site complemented by a website marketplace, online Eventbrite bookings, and a Maker Network community spanning Greater Manchester. The trading subsidiary MCAD Enterprises Ltd (Company no. 10143710) supports commercial activity, and the entity is governed by a board of trustees with a small staff team of around 20.

The customer base is broad and fragmented: general public visitors seeking unique handmade goods, schools and adult education groups, bespoke jewellery customers for weddings and special occasions, and cafe patrons. Marketing relies on organic social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), an email newsletter via Mailchimp, the Maker Network community, and free public exhibitions and events. There is no technology platform, no proprietary software, no AI capability, and no external equity funding; revenue is not publicly disclosed and the Centre operates within the structural constraints of a fixed-footprint charity in a historic building without a lift.

Name

Manchester Craft & Design Centre

Legal name

Manchester Craft and Design Limited

Website

https://craftanddesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manchester Craft & Design Centre is a registered charity and craft hub in Manchester's Northern Quarter housing around 20 independent maker studios, an exhibition programme, workshops, Fred's Cafe, and maker support services for the general public and creative community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Craft Studios & Marketplace

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

General Arts & Crafts Supplies Retail (CRALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Artisan craft studios
• Handmade goods retail
• Craft workshop programs
• Artisan marketplace
• Creative studio rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Studio Rental: Revenue from renting studio spaces to independent designers and makers within the Centre's two-floor facility.
2. Retail Sales: Sales of handmade craft products from resident makers including textiles, jewellery, accessories, ceramics, glass, prints and homeware.
3. Workshop Fees: Fees charged for craft workshops including sgraffito (£60), ceramic sculpting (£45), and rug tufting (£70) sessions.
4. Venue Hire: Rental of exhibition and event spaces including Space2 on ground floor for workshops and events.
5. Fred's Cafe: On-site English-style cafe open Tuesday-Saturday and 2nd Sunday of month serving food and beverages.
6. Donations and Support: Charitable donations including Kate Day Fund, partnerships with trusts, and gift voucher sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Manchester Craft & Design Centre operates a two-storey physical hub in Manchester's Northern Quarter that rents studio spaces to independent designers and makers and houses 20 studios selling handmade textiles, jewellery, ceramics, glass, prints and homeware. The Centre runs a free public exhibitions programme, paid craft workshops in its Space2 area, an on-site English-style cafe (Fred's), and a venue hire service. It also operates an online marketplace connecting customers with its resident makers and runs the Hands On bursary programme supporting underrepresented makers.

Product overview

Manchester Craft & Design Centre is a unified creative venue and marketplace that provides physical studio spaces for independent artisan makers alongside experiential offerings. The core venue (the main product) houses approximately 20 studios across two floors where makers create and sell handmade goods including jewellery, ceramics, textiles, prints, glass, and homeware. Supporting offerings include Fred's Cafe (on-site food service), an exhibitions programme, regular workshops (Space2 workshop area), and venue hire services. The Maker Support programme provides business resources and the Hands On bursary for underrepresented makers. The centre operates as both a retail marketplace for handmade goods and a community hub for craft education and appreciation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fred's Cafe: English-style café with a northern accent, located in the Centre, open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm and 2nd Sunday of the month 11am-5pm.

Products and services

• Maker Studio Spaces

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission to all exhibitions open to public
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (GNCCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNCCF is the North's leading and award-winning craft fair. Hands On programme bursary winners receive free showcase at GNCCF in October.
• Emma GrayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital coaching provider for Hands On programme participants.
• Catherine SandlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered storytelling and confidence workshop for Hands On programme participants.
• Deborah SimmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site Creative Enterprise Officer providing pricing development support to makers in Hands On programme.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ManchesterCraft
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGdvSXwwWDroF8vros3Ez_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/manchester.craft
• Instagraminstagram.com/manchestercraft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manchester-craft-and-design

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manchester Craft & Design Centre