Major hub 'for creative and production excellence' to open in Leamington

A major hub for 'for creative and production excellence' will open in Leamington in 2023.

The Fold will open at the Grade II listed and renovated former United Reformed church building in Spencer Street and will have six state-of-the-art production facilities including a virtual studio, foley suite, edit facilities, recording booths and a new tech testing lab.

The development is the brainchild of Cogent, an independent marketing agency that has been at the forefront of the Midlands creative industry for over 90 years, working with high-profile clients such as Bacofoil, Virgin, Volvo, Spoticar, Wolseley, Aldo, and National Grid ESO.

Built over three floors, the space will come equipped with six state-of-the-art production facilities, including a virtual studio, foley suite, edit facilities, recording booths and a new tech testing lab - all of which will be available to be used and hired by members and the wider creative community.

Bruce Hutton, Chief Executive at Cogent, said: “The Fold will be at the heart of a unique creative community – a beacon of talent and innovation.

"We’re aiming to provide the exciting environment for all the things you can’t do as brilliantly in a work from home setting.

"That includes networking for business, collaborating on projects, discussing solutions to problems, hosting thought-provoking training sessions and inspirational events, coaching newer team members, and of course socialising.”

“We will provide a space to be at your absolute best, all in an eye-catching hospitality and production venue which people will want to spend time in.”

The Fold will also be the new campus for the SAE Institute, the global specialist provider of creative media education, allowing SAE UK not only to provide grounds for its students, but also networking opportunities and hands-on work experience.

The Fold is being realised by Complex Development Projects , which was appointed by Warwick District Council in December 2017 to deliver an ambitious master plan that would shape Leamington’s Creative Quarter.

Its interior design is being led by Alan Ellis, who worked on a flagship hospitality design project within Battersea Power Station,