Maitland space project

About the space

Maitland Space Project is a new creative co-working and artists' studio space in The Levee, Central Maitland. It's a space where artists work, and members of the public can drop in and see them making stuff, and perhaps purchase artworks or craft from their studio. The space was established by artist Helen Hopcroft in mid-December 2019 as part of Maitland City Council's Create Maitland initiative. Create Maitland encourages artists and creative businesses to take over empty shops, on a short term basis for a nominal fee, and set up creative projects. When a commercial tenant signs a lease for the shop, the artists move out. The aim of the initiative is to activate spaces that may otherwise remain empty, and to help launch innovative enterprises in the CBD.

About the artist

Maitland Space Project is currently home to Helen Hopcroft, who is preparing for an exhibition (The Re-Enchantment) at Maitland Regional Art Gallery in May. Hopcroft is making a giant city out of cardboard boxes for the exhibition, so if any Levee traders have excess boxes they'd like to donate they would be most welcome!

Katrina Holden completed her Bachelor of Fine Art (painting) at the University of Newcastle in 2017 after a month in Rome at the European Institute of Design. Katrina is working on a series of lyrical and expressive landscapes and has a selection of work for sale.

Emerging artist Anna Eggenhuizen also has a studio space. A former piano teacher, Anna has many years’ experience creating special effects hair and make up for theatre and film; she's currently working on a series of dark fantasy images which have been very popular with the public.

Maitland based puppet theatre company, Frank's Fantastic Fairy Tale Theatre, have just moved into the space and will be using it for rehearsals, puppet-making workshops and to store their puppets and equipment. During the inaugural IF Maitland, Maitland's new writers' festival, the space will be used as a meeting place for festival volunteers. And during Artastique, Maitland's shopfront art festival, Katrina Holden will be displaying her work in the larger of the shop windows and in the smaller window shadow puppets by Joshua Anderson will be displayed. There are also plans to run poetry events and art workshops in the space, and to offer a 'drop in' space for people seeking a temporary art studio.

Behind the name

The name of the space is a tribute to The Cambodian Space Project, an internationally acclaimed band established by Julien Poulson, a writer, musician and director of Kampot Writers and Readers Festival. The word 'space' plays with its dual meaning as a place where work gets done, and the idea of launching something new and experimental beyond the everyday atmosphere of Earth.

Find out more

Please contact Council's Business Liaison Officer Nicole Dickson on 0429 621 918 or at nicole.dickson@maitland.nsw.gov.au