ABOUT GRIT STUDIOS

It all started back in 2013 with Art Battle Manchester.

We founded Art Battle MCR to bring art to everyone. 10 Artists painting a masterpiece in only 30 minutes while the audience circulate, watch the art evolve and vote for their favourite. Add in DJ’s, street food and drink, and unexpected surprises, and you get the drift. The Guardian described it as ‘Manchester’s most energetic art event’.

Every time we did an Art Battle MCR event, we changed venue and had a different 10 artists take part. By 2021, we’d had over 300 local artists take part and many had become friends.

Speaking to the artists, we soon realised there was (and still is) a chronic shortage of accessible, affordable studio space in Greater Manchester. Waiting lists were long. Rents were rising. Spaces were being converted into apartments. Brilliant creatives were being pushed out or held back.

The idea for GRIT Studios was born

In the pandemic, we couldn’t do our Art Battle MCR events for obvious reasons. It got us thinking…. how about we open an affordable art studio to support local artists. So we started looking on Rightmove for empty, unloved buildings.

We found a 4,800sq ft derelict building in Stockport town centre. Unlike most, we didn’t see its long list of issues, but instead saw sunlight flooding in from windows on both sides, sturdy wooden floors and quirky staircases. Basically, we saw huge potential.

We grafted to restore the building and transform the space into awesome creative studios. From the day it opened in October 2021, we’ve been completely full.

Yes, we breathed life into an unloved building, but was never about the bricks and mortar, it’s all about our community of lovely artists and makers - they are the people with GRIT. We like to combine the skills of our GRITTERS with the local community. A bit like Art Battle Manchester. It’s art for everyone.