Ilkeston Contemporary Arts

It has been lovingly restored, refurbished and bought back into use as a community arts venue. A combination of increased insulation and green technologies has improved the energy efficiency by 75%. The venue has been refurbished to include a teaching room for local school children and other groups, accommodation for an Artist in Residence and a Café with external seating. Each year a graduate is chosen to receive free accommodation and a salary to kick start their career. In return they are expected to live and work in the venue and to coordinate community groups and schools to demystify the world of the arts The approach to the project has been to respect, retain and enhance the best and to sensitively update where necessary. The original innovative natural ventilation system has been refurbished. Openings at low level in the church’s brick fabric are left open at night to cool the building and heat extracted through openable louvres in the ceiling void. The original lighting has been refurbished using LED fittings enhanced with display quality lighting and state of the art AV facilities. The buildings energy efficiency has been improved by 75% using better insulation whilst respecting the historic fabric and green technologies whilst respecting the historic fabric of the former church. The project was conceived, designed and funded by Chris Williamson as a local community resource intends to inspire a new generation of artists, writers, performers, architects and designers throughout the East Midlands and beyond.