Arts Council Funding Gives Derby Printmakers Green Light For Expansion

26 March 2013

After securing a £10,000 grant from Arts Council England, mother and daughter duo Anna and Pan Johnson have re-launched their environmentally sound printmaking company, Green Door Printmaking Studio, from their new studios at University of Derby owned Banks Mill.

Both Anna and Pan are graduates of the University of Derby, and practising artists and printmakers. After their first funding application was refused they took advantage of the business support the University offers incubation unit clients, including those at Banks Mill, working with University staff to rewrite and resubmit the successful bid.

Anna said: "We'd outgrown our old premises in Normanton which we'd run the Studio from since 2007 so were looking for somewhere new that could accommodate all of our equipment and allow for further growth. Banks Mill was perfect - not only did it offer the space we needed, it's a real creative hub so we knew we'd be working alongside like-minded people.

"An additional benefit, and one we found invaluable, was the business support and mentoring offered as part of our tenancy agreement. The University is really committed to helping local businesses such as ours succeed and we couldn't have rewritten our successful application without it. A big thanks must go to the University team involved for their continued support with our relocation."

Pete Rayner, Head of Business Services at University of Derby Corporate, the University's corporate development and training division, was involved in the bid. He added: "As a University we're in the business of transforming lives, helping people to develop and achieve great things, so it made sense to us that if we were to run a collection of incubation units that we'd also offer on-going business support to our clients, along with other benefits.

"After reviewing Anna and Pan's first funding application we knew there were areas where we could really add value and help to strengthen their bid so we were delighted to find out that their second application had been successful. Banks Mill is an ideal space for them and we look forward to watching their business grow."

Green Door Printmaking Studio was founded in 2003 in what was the University of Derby's Green Lane campus and is Derbyshire's only open access artist studio dedicated to the art and craft of innovative and environmentally sound printmaking. Anna and Pan research, develop and teach the very latest print techniques and processes and are building a local, national and international artist's community of printmakers dedicated to safer printmaking practices.

Owned and run by the University of Derby, Banks Mill is part of Evolve Derby, the University's collection of incubation units. New and early stage creative businesses can benefit from subsidised studios with flexible terms, coupled with comprehensive business support, mentoring and promotional opportunities to help survive those tough early years.

For further information on Green Door Printmaking Studio visit www.greendoor-printmaking.co.uk

For further information on Banks Mill and the University's Incubation Units visit www.evolvederby.co.uk