Sheffield Arts Organisation Gains Charity Status

2nd October 2013

Situated in the industrial surroundings of an old cutlery factory, CADS is a huge centre, playing host to a full spectrum of creative arts.

Founded in 2009, it has grown from 3 small studios to an organisation that offers 69 studios in four separate locations. CADS also comprises of event space which plays host to art exhibitions, film locations and music events. They also house various enterprises, all vying to make an impact in Sheffield's creative industry. CADS has now attained official charity status after years of working as a self-sufficient social enterprise with basic support from local and international funding. Steve Rimmer, CADS manager said, -We are delighted that CADS has received official charity status. It is testament to the hard work we have put in and will enable us to continue providing space and support for the new creatives of Sheffield. As proven by the boom in Sheffield's music industry during the 80s, periods of economic downturn often give rise to innovative new music, arts and industry. Sheffield has an abundance of unused ex-industrial space and CADS perfectly symbolises how great things can come from bad situations. CADS has now grown into one of the biggest studio providers in Sheffield. They are dedicated to supporting new ideas and projects in the creative and digital sector, offering short term rents with no application form and no red tape. They have a commitment to affordable space and flexible terms. They even have a current programme, spaceCADets, that provides six weeks free studio space to develops an idea. The centre has become a melting pot for ideas and networking with a host of successful new projects emerging from its ex-industrial spaces. Notable projects that have grown from the CADS creative furnace includes: SKINN a not for profit development agency for Shalesmoor, Kelham Island and Neepsend, wAVE Lab a free digital media education centre and DLS an underground nightclub. A new addition is the Chop Shop, a CNC fabrication and design facility providing project support to students, start-ups and educational workshops. (For more info on these projects please check the links) Notable users of CADS includes the BBC who used the space as a filming location and Mark Fell, an internationally acclaimed multidisciplinary artist who works with computer-based systems, sound and light. It also hosted three separate exhibitions for Sheffield University's Festival of The Mind and is the fixed location for the hugely popular Blues Stage at Tramlines Festival. The future is looking bright for CADS, their newest venture is to provide a one-stop shop for people looking to rent space in Sheffield. They have a brand new website, launching soon that allows people to upload space they have available and potential tenants can search all the properties. There is a focus on short-term lets and meanwhile space where tenants use a space that has been earmarked for future development.