The Old Print Works
The Old Print Works is a Birmingham charitable creative hub that rents affordable studios, co-working space (The Transfer), meeting rooms and event space to makers, artists and freelancers, and runs community textiles programmes and a monthly makers' market from a heritage industrial building in Balsall Heath.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Old Print Works does
The Old Print Works is a charitable community creative hub operated by Make It Sustainable Ltd (registered charity #1153298, a company limited by guarantee) from a single heritage industrial building at 498-506 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Founded in 2011 after the building's previous occupant (a transfers/branding manufacturer) vacated in 2009, the organisation provides affordable physical space - studios, workshops, co-working desks, meeting rooms, exhibition and event spaces - to makers, artists, craftspeople, freelancers and remote workers, alongside community arts and textiles programmes (Daily Thread, Social Stitch, monthly Makers' Market) and a youth arts project (The GAP). The Transfer, its co-working sub-brand, offers hot desks and dedicated desks Monday-Friday 8.30am-6pm with memberships priced at £15-£75/month and discounts for sustainable travel and B12-postcode residents.
Revenue is generated from at least seven streams: recurring co-working memberships, monthly studio licences (£110-£400/month for units ranging from 3.6m2 to 64m2), hourly/daily meeting room hire (Board Room seats 8, Filing Room seats 4), event and exhibition space hire (from £25-£50/hour), Makers' Market stall fees (£10 per stall), community workshop sessions (£3-£4.50 each with concessions), and charitable donations. The organisation also monetises the building as a filming and photography location through a dedicated channel partner, Martin Avotins Photography. A monthly co-founded festival, Balsall Heath Second Saturday, anchors community engagement, and an on-site community cafe (The MIX) is operated by partner ChangeKitchenCIC.
Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on social media (Instagram, Facebook), a low-frequency email newsletter, the monthly festival, and word-of-mouth within Birmingham's creative sector. The charity employs 1-10 staff and is governed by a Board of Trustee Directors; the Board is currently recruiting new trustees and a Chair and has appointed an Interim CEO, framing the period as one of 'intense change and potentially rapid growth'.
The Old Print Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Old Print Works
- Legal name
- Make It Sustainable Ltd
- Website
- https://oldprintworks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Old Print Works is a Birmingham charitable creative hub that rents affordable studios, co-working space (The Transfer), meeting rooms and event space to makers, artists and freelancers, and runs community textiles programmes and a monthly makers' market from a heritage industrial building in Balsall Heath.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Old Print Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Creative Workspace
- akta.pro primary industry
- Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)
Keywords
Where The Old Print Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Old Print Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Co-working memberships: Monthly and weekly membership fees for The Transfer co-working space. Membership tiers incentivise sustainable travel. Includes access to hot desks, meeting rooms (at discounted rates), shared lunch facilities, and community events.
- Studio and workshop rentals: Monthly licence agreements for studio units ranging from 3.6m2 to 64m2. Rental prices from £110-£400/month plus service charge. Revenue supports charitable objectives of promoting making and creativity.
- Meeting room hire: Hourly and daily rental of two meeting rooms (Board Room seats 8, Filing Room seats 4). Members receive discounted rates. Additional revenue from projector/screen hire and refreshments.
- Space hire for events: Event space rental for exhibitions, filming, photography and private events. Minimum 2-hour weekday booking at £50, with additional hours at £25. Weekend and evening bookings at premium rates.
- Makers' Market stalls: Monthly market stall fees as part of Balsall Heath Second Saturday festival. £10 per stall booking for independent makers and craftspeople.
- Workshop sessions: Community textile sessions (Daily Thread, Social Stitch) and makerspace sessions at £3-£4.50 per session with concessionary rates for B12 residents.
- Donations: Charitable donations accepted to support community work. Registered charity number 1153298.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Full-time co-working membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Part-time co-working membership |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial and casual co-working |
| Subscription | Monthly | Household shared membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Studio/workshop units |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meeting room hire |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event space hire |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Makers' Market stall |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Thread community textiles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Daily Thread makerspace |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Social Stitch evening session |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Old Print Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Old Print Works operates a heritage building in Birmingham, UK as a community creative hub, providing artist studios, co-working desk space, event venue hire, and community arts/textiles programmes. The facility is managed by Make It Sustainable Ltd (charity number 1153298) and serves local makers, artists, freelancers, and community members through rental of physical workspace and delivery of participatory arts activities.
Product overview
The Old Print Works operates as a physical community and creative hub, not a software platform. The organization offers a portfolio of physical space services centered around three core offerings: (1) The Transfer co-working space providing affordable desks and meeting rooms for freelancers and remote workers; (2) Studio and workshop rentals for makers, artists, and craftspeople; and (3) Community programs including Daily Thread textiles sessions, Social Stitch evenings, and a monthly Makers' Market. Additional services include event space hire, filming/photography locations, and meeting room bookings. These are sold separately as individual offerings rather than as a unified platform with modules. The organization is managed by Make It Sustainable Ltd, a charitable company (charity number: 1153298).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Transfer: A friendly and affordable co-working space operated by The Old Print Works, open Monday-Friday 8.30am-6pm, offering hotdesking, dedicated desks, and meeting room hire.
- Balsall Heath Second Saturday
- The MIX Community Cafe
Products and services
- Artist Studios Affordable private studio spaces rented to individual artists, makers, and craftspeople for ongoing creative practice, located in the heritage building in Birmingham.
- Co-working Space Shared co-working desks and flexible workspace offered to freelancers, remote workers, and small creative businesses on a daily or monthly basis.
- Event Space Hire The heritage building is hired out for events, workshops, exhibitions, talks, filming, and private functions, targeting event organisers, community groups, and small businesses.
- Community Arts Programmes Participatory arts and creative skill-building programmes delivered at the venue for local community members, including workshops and short courses.
- Textiles Programmes Specialist textiles-focused workshops and creative sessions at the venue, reflecting the building's heritage as a former transfer manufacturing centre and supporting local textile practitioners and learners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Regular collaborative events and community engagement through Balsall Heath Second Saturday
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Old Print Works
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Old Print Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Old Print Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Balsall Heath Second SaturdaycoreThe Old Print Works is a founder member of Balsall Heath Second Saturday, a monthly mini-festival running on the second Saturday of each month, 11am-4pm. This partnership provides an ideal opportunity for Studio Partners to engage with the local community and promotes creative and cultural activity in Balsall Heath.
- ChangeKitchenCICcoreChangeKitchenCIC runs The MIX Community Cafe located at the front of The Old Print Works building. Provides laid-back venue for great affordable vegetarian and vegan food, open Friday 10am-3pm and Saturday 11am-4pm. Supports the community atmosphere and sustainability values of the co-working space.
- Deb Day Sewing RoomcoreStudio partner providing sewing classes and community textile sessions at The Old Print Works. Accessible via 504 Moseley Road entrance. Part of the network of makers and creative practitioners in the building.
- The GAP Arts ProjectcoreStudio partner operating The GAP youth arts project and The MIX Cafe. Located at 498 Moseley Road entrance. Provides youth arts programming and community café services within The Old Print Works building.
- Sundragon PotterysupportingStudio partner providing pottery classes and sessions. Part of the diverse community of makers offering creative activities at The Old Print Works.
- Art MetalliXsupportingStudio partner providing metal embossing workshops. Part of the creative maker community at The Old Print Works.
- Darkroom BirminghamsupportingStudio partner providing photography and darkroom services. Offers creative workshops and access to darkroom facilities.
- Martin Avotins PhotographysupportingManages filming and photography enquiries for The Old Print Works, providing a direct point of contact with on-the-ground production experience. Supports location access and coordination for film, television and photography projects.
- Moseley School of ArtsupportingNeighbouring institution located next to The Old Print Works. Contributes to the creative centre of Balsall Heath. Building has been refurbished.
- Moseley Road BathssupportingIconic swimming baths located across the road from The Old Print Works. Part of the cultural heritage of Balsall Heath and contributes to the area's community facilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Old Print Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- STEAMhouse: Birmingham City University-run innovation and maker hub offering studios, workshops, and co-creation space for makers, artists and STEAM-focused small businesses. Comparable in combining affordable maker space, coworking, and creative programming under one roof in Birmingham.
- Impact Hub Birmingham: Part of the global Impact Hub network, providing mission-driven coworking and incubation space for social enterprises and values-aligned freelancers in Birmingham. Directly comparable coworking-for-good positioning and community-led GTM.
- Custard Factory: Birmingham's longest-running creative quarter, repurposing a former Bird's Custard factory into studios, retail, event venues, and maker spaces. Closest geographic and functional analogue to The Old Print Works' heritage-building creative hub model, though operated commercially rather than as a charity.
Regional players
- Baltic Creative: Liverpool-based creative community hub providing affordable studios, coworking, and event space for makers, freelancers and micro-creative businesses in a redeveloped industrial heritage building. Comparable in heritage-to-creative-workspace conversion and maker-studio focus, but serving a different city.
- Ikon Gallery: Birmingham's leading contemporary art gallery, running exhibitions alongside participatory community arts programmes. Comparable as a Birmingham cultural anchor with heritage-building character and mission-led community engagement, though focused on exhibition rather than workspace.
- The Old Truman Brewery: London creative quarter redeveloped from a former brewery, hosting studios, independent retailers, event spaces, and weekend markets. Closest UK analogue for a heritage industrial building converted into a multi-tenant creative community hub, albeit at significantly larger scale.
- Tramway: Glasgow contemporary arts venue housed in a former tram depot, combining gallery space, artist studios, and community participation programmes. Comparable in operating cultural and maker programming out of a converted industrial heritage building, though focused on exhibition rather than coworking.
Broad incumbents
- WeWork: Global coworking incumbent offering flexible office, meeting room, and event space across hundreds of locations including Birmingham. Overlaps on coworking, meeting room hire, and event space but serves a fundamentally different (corporate) customer base and lacks the maker-studio and craft-workshop component.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Old Print Works social profiles
Digital presenceThe Old Print Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Old Print Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Old Print Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Old Print Works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Old Print Works
What does The Old Print Works do?
The Old Print Works operates a heritage building in Birmingham, UK as a community creative hub, providing artist studios, co-working desk space, event venue hire, and community arts/textiles programmes. The facility is managed by Make It Sustainable Ltd (charity number 1153298) and serves local makers, artists, freelancers, and community members through rental of physical workspace and delivery of participatory arts activities.
Is The Old Print Works a public or private company?
The Old Print Works is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Old Print Works founded?
The Old Print Works was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Old Print Works based?
The Old Print Works is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Old Print Works make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Co-working memberships are the primary driver. The others are studio and workshop rentals, meeting room hire, space hire for events, makers' Market stalls, workshop sessions and donations.
Who are The Old Print Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are STEAMhouse, Impact Hub Birmingham and Custard Factory. Regional players are Baltic Creative, Ikon Gallery, The Old Truman Brewery and Tramway. WeWork is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Old Print Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Old Print Works.
What industry is The Old Print Works in?
The Old Print Works's product category is Community Creative Workspace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAD, Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media).