Work to completely refurbish the top floor of the former Sunwin House department

store into the new creative hub is now taking place following a £2.6m grant from the

Keighley Towns Fund, administered by Bradford Council; £1.27m from the

Community Ownership Fund; £906k through Keighley College and £250k from

Bradford 2025’s Cultural Capital Fund.

The hub will provide a permanent base for Keighley creatives as well as local artists,

makers, and community groups. The extensive refurbishment includes:

Street gallery frontage flexible studio, workshop, exhibition, and performance spaces

ensuring the building is accessible and sustainable.

Keighley College will also be providing an adult skills offer to support adults who may

be further away from employment, into further training or work. Alongside creativity, the college will offer digital skills and routes into a range of sectors.

'New opportunities'

Riaz Meer, Executive Director of Keighley Creative which is positioned to take up

occupancy in the building, said “It’s exciting to see the refurbishment of Sunwin

House take shape. Since securing this significant investment through the Towns

Fund, Keighley Creative have been working hard with the landlord, East St Arts and

their design team.

“Our dedicated Board of Trustees will continue to work with our partners to ensure

the new building makes a significant positive impact to the regeneration of Keighley

Town Centre and properly serves the artistic needs of the people of Keighley.”

The lease for the building will be held by East Street Arts, a Leeds-based charity,

working to provide workspace, resources and professional support for artists across

England and Wales. With a track record in developing artist-led spaces and capital

projects, East Street Arts is overseeing the delivery of the refurbishment and

ensuring the building meets the needs of local creatives.

Jon Wakeman, Artistic Director of East Street Arts, explained: “This will be a vital

piece of creative infrastructure for the region, supporting the creative industries

through educational access, workspace and space for artists and makers to show

their work. It’s also a nationally significant project, showing how investment in

creative workspace can drive regeneration and support healthier, more resilient town

centres.’

Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Transport and Planning

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “The transformation of Sunwin House is significant

for the revitalisation of Keighley town centre and we believe it will act as a catalyst

for further regeneration. Turning this landmark building into a cultural hub will create

new opportunities for residents, attract visitors, and breathe life into the space.”

Tim Rogers, Chair of Keighley Town Board added: “The Towns Fund was designed

to unlock projects with lasting benefit. We know this project will be a tremendous

asset to the town for years to come and provide last cultural benefits for the people who live and work here.”

Dan Bates, Executive Director of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture said: “Through

the Cultural Capital Fund we’re ensuring that the UK City of Culture designation has

a lifelong impact on the district, supporting the sector to grow and for communities to

come together to experience art. The incredible transformation of Sunwin House has

created a flexible space for artists to come together, collaborate and grow –

expanding their networks and building on the already thriving creative community in

Keighley.”

Link to the article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdqven8gl5o