Work that Works

On Friday 26 May 2017, small creative businesses were invited to share a snapshot of themselves at work to mark new research from Not on the High Street. The report looks at how independent businesses are reshaping working life.

In September 2016, I left a salaried role at Leeds College of Art to set up Sunken Studio. The first nine months were demanding and absorbing, but focusing on making felt like the right decision. Each month brought something different, from new conversations to early collaborations, alongside a growing set of ideas about how the studio might develop.

I’m a maker. I like constructing things - assembling parts, building tools, and working through problems by doing. That approach carries over into running a studio. The business side is another form of construction, requiring its own kind of thinking, attention, and resilience. Working with clay, and in three dimensions, has a way of preparing you for that.

The Not on the High Street research reflects this overlap, highlighting how small creative businesses are finding alternative ways of working that prioritise fulfilment alongside sustainability.

Sunken Studio was set up to offer structured but flexible access to ceramics. People can take a six-week course, attend a single taster, or build their learning gradually over months or years. The intention is to make space for making within everyday life, allowing people to choose how and when they engage, and to support a more balanced relationship between work, learning, and time.