A print designer based at Northampton’s Vulcan Works has said that the workspace has provided a peaceful, professional base for her business to flourish.
Catherine Wise, who runs Catherine Wise Print Design, was one of the first tenants to move into the building in the town’s Cultural Quarter when it opened last year.
The mother-of-two was looking for a dual-purpose space outside of home – a studio for her artwork and a digital desktop for her computer aided design.
In Vulcan Works she found the perfect package and more, with the additional benefits of coworking spaces, meeting rooms and an outside courtyard.
Catherine said: “I found working at home just didn’t meet my needs. I needed a peaceful spot, a dedicated space for my work. I’d been looking for a really long time, but I hadn’t found anything. There wasn’t anything like this. I knew what the benefits of this would be, because there hadn’t been anything like this before.
“I can do things here that I couldn’t do at home. It gives me the opportunity to give myself a more professional face. If a client wants to bring me some samples for example or something you can only really do in person, it is great for meetings.”
Catherine, who designs all-over prints for retail and holds regular training courses for fashion and textile designers, is also an associate lecturer at The University of Northampton.
The business support opportunities that Vulcan Works provides will also be beneficial to Catherine moving forward. She plans to make use of the numerous workshops and seminars on offer, as well as the support of in-house business growth manager Darren Smith.
“Being here at Vulcan Works opens up the resources of creating business opportunities in the future,” said Catherine. “I am continually able to build up the knowledge for the back end of my business and grow my network. I’ve met lots of lovely people already and I think there’s opportunity for more of that to come.
“Vulcan Works gives me so many avenues for how I could train and collaborate in the future by hiring workspaces and rooms and reaching new audiences.”
Vulcan Works centre manager Garrick Hurter said: “It has been fantastic to watch tenants like Catherine move in and progress using the centre’s space and support facilities over the past year. Catherine’s office is a hub of creativity which is exactly what Vulcan Works is here for.”
To find out more about Vulcan Works or request a show around, email info@vulcanworks.co.uk or visit vulcanworks.co.uk. To find out more about Catherine Wise Print Design visit https://www.catherinewise.co.uk/