William Austin Email & Phone Number

London, England, United Kingdom

I approached the Eastern City Business Improvement District in 2023 with a proposal to become their Cultural Partnerships Manager, as I saw great opportunity to use my skills in connecting the commercial with the creative to help enhance the cultural offer. Post-pandemic this offer outside of the office door is fundamental to keeping London, particularly The City, attractive and enticing. Making space for creative activations and cultural facilities, with the vibrancy and diversity that they bring, is an untapped way to enliven an area, attract new audiences and ultimately deliver benefits for us all. My scope at Eastern City BID focuses on utilising void units, and through connecting stakeholders and providing funding, I am transforming these underused assets into thriving arts and cultural spaces. I enjoy removing barriers to entry, helping the creative/cultural sector establish themselves in The City, whilst working at the forefront of quantifying and communicating the impact of these activations.

London, England, United Kingdom

Cultural Infrastructure Limited helps to deliver the next generation of spaces for the cultural and creative industries.We provide guidance throughout the planning process in how to embed space dedicated to creative production and cultural consumption within development proposals. Our comprehensive knowledge and unique industry experience ensures spaces are viably delivered and fit for purpose. We can help you with: 1) Proving clarity on the delivery of affordable workspace planning obligations.2) Evaluation of the financial impact for a site package, defining terms such as expected rent and calculation of in-lieu payments.3) Guidance on design, access, floor plan, location and fit out to ensure spaces will properly integrate, whilst meeting the unique requirements of the creative industries.4) Matchmaking with the cultural and secretive sectors, securing expressions of interest from organisations eager to lease the demise.5) Understanding the social value generated, and how it can be measured and quantified for ESG. 6) Harnessing the support of local residents and organisations who back planning applications that will deliver for creative communities.7) Drawing on our comprehensive knowledge base, and working relationships, to expedite negotiations with planning officers, the local authority, and the Greater London Authority.8) Providing case studies of the successful integration of spaces that deliver creative and cultural infrastructure.Example projects and development sites that we have assisted are now used as examples of best-practice. Cultural Infrastructure Limited clients have included:- CIT- City of London Corporation- Landsec- Ebbsfleet Garden City- Greater London Authority

Se1 5Te

Southwark Studios is a benefit for the community society that provides affordable workspace for creative people. Having graduated University I found it impossible to locate space to continue my creative practice. I founded Southwark Studios with the aim of providing quality, affordable creative workspace within central London.In 2009 I designed and project managed the conversion of 16,000sqft of void industrial space near Tower Bridge Road. This initial site for Southwark Studios had 43 individual workspaces, a cinema, library, dark room, meeting rooms, kitchens and public gallery.I managed operations at Southwark Studios, from legal agreements and governance, to financial and community management. This all-encompassing experience gave me a broad knowledge base of every aspect of starting, maintaining and developing a successful business. The first site for Southwark Studios operated at capacity for seven years, with 250 clients (67% of our clients identified as female, and 25% BAME) and generated revenue in excess of £1mill.By 2016, as impending redevelopment threatened this site with closure, I became aware of the vast drain in creative talent occurring as the majority of creative workspaces were pushed out of the capital by ever-increasing costs. To counter this, I pioneered a new method of securing long-term workspace for the creative industries. I negotiated a detailed Section 106 agreement that secured new truly-affordable space for Southwark Studios as part of the planning permission to redevelop our initial site.Southwark Studios now has a growing reputation for providing developers with clarity in how best to achieve their affordable-workspace planning obligations, with a focus on the London borough of Southwark.We have partnered with developers across multiple sites, successfully securing agreements to deliver affordable workspace, whilst ensuring Southwark Studios delivers the next generation of long-term and truly-affordable workspace.

London, United Kingdom

Affordable Work.space is the consultancy arm of Southwark Studios. It offers specialist advice to charities and non-profit organisations working in the creative and cultural sectors.I founded Affordable Work.space to disseminate the unique knowledge I gained in how best to integrate affordable workspace for the creative industries into redevelopments. The consultancy works exclusively for charitable entities offering an extensive discount from standard commercial fees, along with ad-hoc terms, in order to make this unique guidance accessible to those who need it the most. Affordable Work.space has helped many affordable workspace operators understand the complexities of securing their next space. I prioritise ensuring affordability in the long-term, ultimately aiming to secure the next generation of truly-affordable creative workspaces, helping organisations deliver the cultural infrastructure that is vital for our creative industries.

London, United Kingdom

Asked to lead Studiomakers in 2019 I created a new strategy for the initiative, developed out of my unique experience across the commercial property and creative industry sectors.I reshaped Studiomakers to offer strategic advice and focus on stakeholder partnerships. By assisting developers throughout the planning process to comply with new affordable-workspace planning obligations, Studiomakers was now helping to secure new spaces for cultural organisations. I negotiated the unique terms that balanced project-viability for developers, with true-affordability for the creative industries. As Covid-19 hit the cultural sector, I pivoted Studiomakers to work alongside The Mayor of London’s Culture at Risk department, rapidly developing and delivering guidance to over 70 organisations. I organised a formidable team of external professionals across legal, financial and governance who contributed their time pro-bono throughout the pandemic, ultimately improving sector-resilience. Utilising my creative industry connections, I also provided temporary affordable workspace solutions through the repurposing of underused spaces. In my Operations capacity I initiated a comprehensive modernisation plan for the organisation, writing policy for the charity, reducing expenditure and securing consultancy fees. I authored public grant applications, successfully securing £200,000+ income for the charity. I concluded my work at Studiomakers having transformed it into a cash-positive initiative that financially supported the operational costs of the umbrella charity. During my time at Studiomakers I was a vocal advocate for the sector, mentoring multiple creative and cultural organisations. Giving one-to-one guidance to help address knowledge gaps, strengthen business acumen and improve project viability. By removing barriers to entry I helped empower creative entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds to develop their ideas into viable businesses in the creative industries.

Se1 5Te

New British Artists pioneered the sale of artwork over the internet in 1999. I became Director in 2010. We exhibited at many national art fairs and international events, showcasing the very best in contemporary British art.Work for 'NBA' gave me extensive experience of the commercial art sector. I supervised a small team of employees, developed the e-commerce platform, curated exhibitions, managed logistics and sales. Selling works of art directly to the public was very rewarding, and I enjoyed helping to generate income for both new and established artists.