Work is now taking place to transform Swansea city centre’s former JT Morgan department store building into a community arts centre and a hub for creative professionals.
Under plans led by the Elysium Gallery, the Belle Vue Way building – which has been empty since 2008 – will become home to 53 creative entrepreneurs by providing studios for painters, illustrators, sculptors, designers, printmakers, photographers, actors and video editors.
The project will also include a gallery, a function suite, a dedicated education centre and a quiet room.
Funding from Swansea Council through the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund is helping to fund the internal works and strip out, as well as improvements to the roof structure.
The project has also secured funding from the Welsh Government as part of its Transforming Towns scheme. Jayne Bryant, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, recently visited the building to see the ongoing transformation works for herself.
Other funding has been secured from the Arts Council of Wales, the Architectural Heritage Fund and a community shares initiative.
As part of the project, Elysium Gallery’s studios on Orchard Street will move to the building.
Fundraising is also continuing for a second phase of work that would see the gallery and classroom from High Street move to the new JT Morgan development.
Elysium’s Mansel Street studios will be retained at its current location, and their High Street base will continue as a live music venue.
Elysium has a current occupancy rate of over 95% for its studios throughout the city centre.
Works on the first and second floors of the former JT Morgan building are expected to be complete by the summer.
Daniel Staveley, Founder and Director of Elysium Gallery, said: “Having a large base at the former JT Morgan unit means we won’t have to keep moving from building to building, which has been the case since we first set up back in 2007. This means more money can then be reinvested back into our services for the community, helping to benefit even more people in future.
“It’s great that Swansea Council and the private sector are building new developments in the city, but it’s also encouraging to see formerly empty buildings like the Palace Theatre and the Albert Hall being brought back into use. We’re looking to complement that work with our plans for the JT Morgan site.
“It’s about filling the spaces we have, which makes people prouder of their city.
“Swansea needs investment, so the plans for the new hotel at Copr Bay are very welcome too, as are the office developments, because we need more people to come into the city centre and spend money in local businesses.
“This will help further revitalise areas like High Street and allow more independent traders to pop-up because the footfall will be there.”
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “Swansea city centre needs more footfall and investment to help attract more shops and other businesses.
“That’s why a £1bn transformation led by the council and the private sector is ongoing there to create more working and living spaces to add to facilities like Swansea Arena which have already been completed.
“Elysium’s plans to move into the former JT Morgan building will further support this work, while also complementing other cultural facilities in the city centre like the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and Swansea Museum.”
Jayne Bryant, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, said: “By breathing new life into this disused space, we’re not only enhancing Swansea’s cultural offering but also creating opportunities for local artists and generating increased footfall that will benefit other businesses in the city centre.
“Our Transforming Towns funding is about supporting communities to reimagine their urban spaces, and this project is an excellent example of how strategic investment can deliver multiple benefits.”
