Work on £2.4m creative hub starts

Work to convert a historic industrial site in Coventry into a new £2.4m creative hub for artists in time for UK City of Culture 2021 has begun.Scaffolding has now gone up and construction work has started on the Daimler Powerhouse, once home to the world-famous car factory on the edge of the city centre in Radford, which is being transformed into the first purpose-built and collaborative art production facility in the area.Wigley Building and Development, the construction arm of The Wigley Group, which owns Sandy Lane Business Park where the site is based and is a significant funder of the scheme, is undertaking the works for planned completion in March 2021.The site will be focused on outdoor arts, theatre and working with young and emerging artists, and will play an integral part in supporting UK City of Culture 2021 as a production centre for major performance works.The redevelopment is being funded with £1.9m from the Cultural Capital Investment Fund which is resourced from Coventry City Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal.The Wigley Group is contributing a further £350,000 as well as a highly discounted 20-year lease on Daimler Powerhouse, along with a neighbouring building.