Heritage Works for Creative Industries
New research offering guidance to those interested in converting unused or underused historic buildings for creative business use.
Historic places and spaces matter to us, forming a key part of our social, economic and environmental wellbeing. Cultural experiences – through art, theatre, music and museums – often occupy historic sites. In some cases, these are creative industries, and in others, cultural and community venues. Reusing and redeveloping our built heritage has the potential to provide the spaces that cultural industries require.
'Heritage Works for Creative Industries' is a report setting out how heritage can work for creative industries. It aims to enable and facilitate the reuse of historic buildings to deliver space for cultural business, and through this, support places to live on and be loved for longer.
Launching soon
The Heritage Works for Creative Industries report will be published on this page in full in summer 2025.
The research, undertaken by Harlow Consulting and Purcell, identifies far more creative business developments involving buildings of heritage value than purpose-built new buildings. In many cases, they were regarded as 'problem buildings' that lacked other viable uses. This suggests that creative uses can be a particularly promising form of development for underused historic buildings.
This guidance follows on from 'Heritage Works', a toolkit for best practice in heritage regeneration published in 2017, and 'Heritage Works for Housing', a 2024 publication focusing on developing underused and unused historic buildings for residential use.
About the guidance
The guidance identifies a number of key synergies between heritage buildings and creative businesses. Successful use or re-use depends on aligning 7 factors:
- The building’s attributes
- A phased development strategy
- Planning and heritage requirements
- Target users’ needs
- Funding sources
- Efficient construction delivery
These elements are all explored in detail, with successful case studies highlighted.
Heritage Works for Creative Industries goes beyond the completion of a regeneration project and looks at the occupation, management and operation of these sites going forward.
Throughout the document, the terminology 'historic buildings' is used to mean both listed buildings and non-designated heritage assets.
Summary of findings
Creative demand for historic character
Creative businesses highly value the unique character of historic buildings and are often willing to work within their constraints. Their varied practices—from solo artisans to tech start-ups—drive demand for a spectrum of spaces, from lightly serviced co-working studios to fully finished offices under conventional leases.
Wide range of adaptable building types
Many underused heritage structures can suit creative uses: former mills and factories, churches, stables, schools, transport depots, even swimming baths. Their flexibility makes them attractive candidates for sympathetic reuse.
Specific challenges of creative tenancies
Creative enterprises are often micro-scale, project-driven or seasonal, requiring “easy in, easy out” lease terms and flexible space sizing. Some need specialist facilities—print workshops, recording studios or film production suites—and all need reliable high-bandwidth internet. Securing traditional development finance under these conditions can be difficult.
Incremental, low-risk development model
A viable approach is phased adaptation: first deliver basic studios at sub-market rents with flexible leases. Strong unmet demand—especially from artists and makers—typically yields high occupancy, generating initial cashflow.
Reinvestment and value uplift.
Early rental income can fund gradual building upgrades. As creative tenants establish a vibrant presence, the site’s—and often the area’s—image improves, attracting higher-value users and triggering a virtuous cycle of rising demand and further investment.
Wider social, economic and cultural benefits
Reusing heritage buildings for creative purposes delivers recognised public benefits—job creation, cultural vitality and community regeneration. These outcomes can unlock grants, planning incentives and partnerships among public, private and nonprofit stakeholders.
Keys to successful projects
Success depends on aligning seven factors: the building’s attributes; a phased development strategy; planning and heritage requirements; target users’ needs; funding sources; and efficient construction delivery. Ensuring all elements fit together creates sustainable reuse and maximises both heritage and creative-sector value.
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