Innovative Cultural Hub 'Many Hands' launches March 2018

Many Hands is a new creative workspace hive and cultural hub; bridging the gap between art, leisure and office environments. Many Hands will create a self-sufficient work and social environment, with spectacular rooftops, art exhibitions and multiple food offerings and is a collaboration from Shapes who have brought together a team of London's most forward-thinking cultural innovators. Non-residents will be able to make use of the massive rooftop areas, a selection of performance spaces for intimate showcases and events plus bar/cafes with spectacular views of the city skyline. Taking over Block F of the Biscuit Factory, residents will have access to a well-curated community, professional services, rotating art installations as well as an in-house programme of high-quality events including talks, installations and music showcases with an array of well-respected speakers and artistic talent. Launching in SE16 on Friday 9 March 2018, Many Hands is dedicated to creating an offering of diverse exceptional talent from across the artistic and professional board, bridging the gaps to provide a self-sufficient work and leisure environment. The spaces will be fully curated and application is a must.

Many Hands will be a destination for Bermondsey and London’s cultural consumers. The publicly accessible upper level offers one of London’s largest rooftops with spectacular views from The Shard, across the City to Canary Wharf and beyond. An in-house programme of events is planned for Many Hands’ first Spring/Summer series including large scale installations, site specific dance and performance work, music showcases, walk through experiences and VR simulations. Given the space available, multi-room mixed media festivals are planned alongside creating a new platform to showcase art integrated technologies. Many Hands will complement the original Biscuit Factory aesthetic, encompassing a geometric Bauhaus theme with Hong Kong’s industrial colour palette, and has been put together by leading Central Saint Martins alumni. Many Hands will be the next generation of multi-use work space. Mixing creative work practices in a modern location and a public-facing cultural programme that will define Bermondsey’s evolution. At its core, Many Hands will be home to 150 unique studios varying in size housing a curated collection of startups, creators and artists. These companies will work alongside 20 music studios, sharing a self-sufficient co-working environment facilitating collaboration. Many Hands will also feature on-site hot-desks, open work hubs, private meeting rooms and 24 hour access. The inhouse services that make Many Hands unique include on site professional printing, exercise classes and washing utilities while residents work will be featured in art installations spread throughout the complex. Fibre optic broadband comes as standard, furnished or unfurnished areas available with fully customisable spaces allowing any size business to create a new home. Desks start at £150pm which includes membership with private office spaces starting at £250pm, music studios start at £300pm, all inclusive of bills. Creative Director Seb Glover, owner and operator of Shapes in Hackney Wick says “Many Hands is the result of a lack diversity in the creative office space market. We want to create a brand new cultural hub in the heart of Bermondsey bringing in new ideas to create a unique community. The idea is to push the boundaries of what a ‘co-working’ space actually means mixing design, art and play to new level all in one place” Head Curator Ed Lilo, previously Head of Venues and Events at VICE UK says “I can’t wait to create a multi-faceted cultural space at this scale and work alongside such an agenda-setting community. Many Hands is going to give London an affordable, inspiring workplace uniting a multi-discipline community with class-leading public spaces.” Lead Interior Designer, Hannah Foster says “Our process for designing a new creative co-working space began by questioning the essence of ideas and how they are formed. By positioning contrasting spaces and furniture alongside each other, we hoped their differences would evoke original thought and foster an environment to inspire. Our own inspiration came from a wide net of research including whimsical film sets, high pressure city office bullpens, and eclectic living.”

The Biscuit Factory consists of a collection of buildings that began in the Victorian age when the area first got developed as a major centre for food production. Today, a collection of buildings that have been tastefully converted to suit a range of businesses seeking a central London location. To complement the original Biscuit Factory heritage Many Hands will feature a geometric Bauhaus theme with industrial colouring that has been put together by leading design graduates from Central Saint Martins. Located a stone’s throw from London Bridge and Borough Market towards Peckham, Bermondsey is already a cultural centre with Assemble Studios and White Cube nearby, the country’s largest concentration of micro-breweries, multiple independent galleries and spaces and transport links throughout the city. Historically known as ‘Biscuit Town’, Many Hands’ location in The Biscuit Factory is a nod to the area’s evolving development.