Baltic Manifesto

manifesto

Baltic Triangle Area CIC Vision Manifesto

We do things like facilitate the creation of the area’s public art, and break out from the daily ebb and flow of the Baltic Triangle to represent the long-term strategic interests of the area.

To serve the creative and digital economy by matching its growth ambitions, and reflect the city’s desire to build our visitor economy, based on the quality of the experiences that people have while they’re here.

Baltic Triangle is a collection of many different businesses, people, opinions, interests and views. We know that we can’t speak for all of the people, all of the time, so ours is a mission for the common good. It is accessible and inclusive: our stakeholders are the people that come to the events that we run, that engage with us; that talk to us and tell us what they want and need.

And our directors represent many of the interests that collide in Baltic Triangle: our venues, education, the public sector, digital, art and culture and property. We’re the first point of contact, working with the area’s residents and revellers to focus on longerterm interests – to make sure people can cross the road safely, that we have a fair mix of land use; that the reopening of our train station stays on the agenda. That people can start new businesses and run events here, and continue the tradition of bold action that has helped Baltic make national headlines for all of the right reasons: for its creativity, ‘cool’ and the opportunities it creates.

Welcome

And there are a variety of ways to get involved, from our evening Schmooze networking event, to Baltic Breakfasts and our annual event.

That’s our opportunity to review and take stock: reflect on what’s happened, and look ahead to the horizon.

Baltic Triangle Area CIC – the ‘area company’, as we’re known – advocates on behalf of Baltic’s stakeholders – its tenants, residents and customers. That includes everything from lobbying the city council and central government for road improvements and train stations, to creating opportunities for people to meet, network and join in.

We have two of the city’s best schools – the third best non-faith school in Liverpool (and best UTC in the country), and the best place to study art. New shops, bars and restaurants pop-up all the time, bringing curious customers.

And new businesses still see Baltic as the place they want to be. Collaborative, creative and pioneering; welcoming and entrepreneurial.

So the next few years will see us working more closely with the city council, and focusing on the continued growth of the area, which we gauge in terms of visitor numbers (3,000,000 last year); completed developments and businesses opening. Our recent successes include the expansion of the Triangle past Parliament Street and the reopening of the Cains site, which had lain derelict for nearly a decade; an increase in people living and working here, and the area’s broader growth.

The city – and region – are seeing the fruits of the value we add, both economically and culturally. It remains a challenge to keep a healthy balance of all of these things. And, as the area grows, we’ll have to work harder to encourage people to work collaboratively, which has played a huge part in the area’s success so far. But we have a healthy mix.

But there is always more to do and we’re determined to overcome new challenges as the area grows. We’ll be working to improve the public realm; encouraging more space to sit, meet and eat. There is a lack of some simple services that people expect, including a deficit in cafés, shops, signage and green space.

We want people to head our way with good ideas, or fledgling businesses; we want people to have fun here and be safe; and we want people far beyond Liverpool to recognise the Baltic Triangle’s name, as Rough Guides, Wallpaper and Vice are telling them to.

We want you to join in.

Come and see for yourself.

Liam Kelly, Chair, Baltic Triangle Area CIC

intro It’s been six years since the first Baltic Triangle Area Manifesto. A selfconfessed ‘bonfire of old-school regeneration mantras; a celebration of everything marginal, curious and inspired; a private sector-led, bottom-up, grassroots networking, matchmaking and freewheelin’ revolutionary manifesto for change,’ it set out its stall in bold, anarchic style.

It was the rallying cry to pull together a diverse, fast-changing area of town, with a diverse, varied group of people.

And while some things remain the same, many things have changed. Well, evolved. We’ve grown. Physically. And grown up a bit. You can do more stuff here now. People head for the Baltic Triangle when they’re here for the weekend. They come here to work, live, eat, dance and play golf in a fluorescent maze.

It’s still private sector-led, collaborative and creative; radical, curious and inspiring. Things still freewheel. But now, around 4,000 creative entrepreneurs and businesses work in an area where previously there were very few. And, in 2016 a government report anointed the Baltic Triangle in the top five fastestgrowing creative and digital clusters outside London.

Yet the values that gave birth to the salty Baltic Triangle spirit remain strong.

Creative, industrious and pioneering; bohemian, alternative and radical.

Look how far we’ve come.

Creative, industrious, pioneering 01

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Our parents are ingenuity and frugality

Cherish what we have

Move from pop-up to permanent

Harbour more music; written, rehearsed, recorded, performed

Support urbanism, urban leisure, urban community

Amplify the creative and digital economy, from start-up to scale-up

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Foster a ‘can do’ community

Utilise 600,000 square feet of flexible space

Support our workers

Be known as a place with warm hospitality; flophouses, hostels, eateries, saloons, bedrooms, taprooms

Nurture a transport plan that is green, yellow, exotic and practical

Help shape the experience of living here

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Underwrite Liverpool’s reputation as a modern, progressive global city

Add flexible and dynamic ideas that could only happen in the Baltic Triangle; do something that will broadcast our bold intentions

Encourage independent retail; markets, vintage, thrift, low cost and high fashion

Be a festival zone: pop-up theatre, silent cinema, gigs, festivals, exhibitionism, new music seminars and Liverpool fringe events spill over from the waterfront and city centre

Bring knowledge; create opportunities. Share learning and innovate

And new things will still happen all the time

Emma Jones

Jamaica Street, Liverpool

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Our parents are ingenuity and frugality.

The Baltic Triangle’s renaissance has seen the area thrive over recent years, with an influx of new restaurant, bar and business concepts taking over. But, the beauty of the area lies in its industrial past — the buildings in the Baltic Triangle have weathered the sea air for over 100 years, as the heartland of Liverpool industry. The warehouses, breweries, canning factories and looming redbrick buildings make the Baltic, and new residents to the area simply weave in and out of the history of the place; taking up residencies in some of the Baltic’s more weird and wonderful spaces.

Nestled inside a disused security hut at the entrance to Cains Brewery Village is Kiosk, a building which otherwise would have been scrapped. Thanks to the team’s creativity, the space has worn many hats, including an Italian summer retreat, a winter ski lodge and a surf shack.

“Kiosk’s latest guise has switched from an alcohol-led focus to something more food/ shop related, to fill demand now that so many bars have opened in the area. With Kiosk we are able to constantly reinvent ourselves,” says founder, Conor Foley.

“Kiosk is a unique one-off location inside an abandoned security hut. The area let us keep hold of it, and use our creative license — although we do still get asked to charge for parking…”

Kiosk was started by three friends, each hailing from a background in the hospitality industries, two of whom were instrumental in creating the Baltic’s coveted Botanical Garden.

“Cains was basically derelict when we moved in, apart from two other venues. I don’t even think the owners envisaged such a change within its gates,” says Foley. “It really did snowball out of independent businesses and creativity.”

Right now, it’s serving up coffee and doughnuts, but a true chameleon of the Baltic Triangle, the security hut grows to fit the needs of the thriving creative community around it; who knows what will it be next week, month, or year? Armed with a creative license, an alcohol license, and a truly unique venue, it’s guise changes with the seasons.

A real vibrancy “When we came to see the space, it was a mess — it was a building site with puddles all over the floor, but we thought: ‘this is the one!’” says Connor Sheehan, owner of Xiringuito — awardwinning pop-up restaurant, and one-time resident of the Baltic’s Northern Lights building.

“We’d finished a residency in Margate with Xiringuito, and we were looking for a space which would parallel the area’s vibrant arts scene — and decided it had to be the Baltic Triangle.

“We’d looked into Manchester, explored Liverpool’s North Docks, and were even taken on a tour of the Wirral. But, when we stepped out of the car on Jamaica Street, and walked through the Baltic Triangle towards the Northern Lights site, we just knew this was the place for us,” says Sheehan. “There was a real vibrancy about the place – even on a rainy Tuesday afternoon…”

Wanting to create a pop-up restaurant which could be transported seasonally throughout the year, Sheehan and co-founder Jackson Berg, spoke to a team of architects which could create a unique structure for the site.

“We came up with the design of Xiringuito, which is essentially a scaffold A frame that can be organised into different set ups. One is a C shape, which you can walk through from end to end; one has a zig-zag in the middle, and the one we had in Baltic was a wigwam-esque shape.

“The great thing about our set up is that the frame uses minimal materials; and wherever we go, we know that there will be a scaff team who can erect it, so each of our residencies belongs to the people and place that we are in.”

Lucy Chesters

Emma Jones

Fiona Shaw

Xiringuito, Liverpool

The security hut, Liverpool

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Foster a ‘can do’ community.

Eat your greens “So, I set up the Baltic Growing Group in partnership with Blue-Green Liverpool. It was designed to encourage Baltic Creative and Northern Lights tenants, and members of the Baltic Triangle, to come along and help do some planting in Baltic Creative’s two planters, adjacent to Jamaica Street. There are even apples on the apple tree we planted now.

“We wanted to get people out of the office to do something hands-on, and enjoy some fresh air on their lunch break, whilst helping beautify and improve their immediate work surroundings. Gardening has a relaxing quality and has been known to have calming effects on mental health. The Baltic Triangle is full of businesses of all sizes and the work environment is often fast-paced — our Growing Group offered people an hour to escape and do something productive, whilst meeting fellow neighbours and businesses.”

- Alison James, Baltic Growing Group

Baltic clean up “Liverpool’s litter problem is extensive and the Baltic is no exception. With all the businesses and bars that now call the Baltic their home, comes all their waste and litter. The Baltic Triangle has grown into the heart of Liverpool’s creative and digital hub faster than anyone could have expected over the last decade and the waste disposal systems in the area weren’t (and still aren’t) able to cope with the waste of the vibrant community that’s settled here — which is why I started The Big Baltic Clean-up.

‘Through the clean-ups we can make sure that this vibrant, creative area stays clean, whilst getting to know the Baltic Community at the same time. Even if you only spend five minutes picking up five pieces of litter, every little helps.

The Big Baltic Clean-up is a great way for you to make a difference in the Baltic whether you work, live or just love the area.”

- Emily Cotter, Innovate Her

Lucy Chesters Emma Jones

* Transformation of Baltic Market

Miles Pearson

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03 Underwrite Liverpool’s reputation as a modern, progressive global city.

The Baltic Triangle isn't “important to the city's economy”, it is important to the residents of Liverpool and to the personality of Merseyside. The Baltic Triangle represents the best aspects of Liverpool’s character: rough around the edges, resourceful and a lot of fun.

VICE

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Andrew Beattie Russell Gannon

Fiona Shaw

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The ßber-arty Baltic Triangle, the apogee of this organic after-dark and the blossoming home of Liverpool’s creative and digital media scene. Intimate, barebrick gin and whiskey joints, craft beer and killer cocktails await.

ROUGH GUIDES

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WALLPAPER

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After a glance at Open Eye — just one gallery in a city collection that is arguably the most impressive in the UK outside the capital — it’s a 15 minute stroll to Camp and Furnace in the Baltic Triangle; still rough around the edges, but all the more fascinating for it.

Framed by the Mersey and the Anglican Cathedral it feels like the Baltic Triangle is metaphorically dragging itself from the depths and reaching for divine inspiration. But that’s a little overstated. As the collective voice states on the ‘about’ section of the community website, ‘That’s us… Quietly, under the radar, just getting on with our stuff.’

PORT MAGAZINE

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Cherish what we have:

artists, brewers, musicians, designers, fashionistas, welders, bakers, galleries, engineers, skaters, printers, cabaret, biennials, afternoon tea and night-time thrill seekers.

The river Mersey laps at the plot’s western edge, some 500 metres from where it crawls now, in the low autumn sunshine... When RS Clare moved to this southern edge of what’s now the Baltic Triangle, in 1770, it was far beyond the city centre, chosen for its distance from the bustling commercial centre. In the heat of the Industrial Revolution distance was vital to the turpentine distiller, its pungent chemical brew casting a cloud over disapproving neighbours.

The oldest manufacturer on Merseyside, Clares began life in 1748 distilling turpentine on Lord Street. It moved on from turpentine to tar, and now focuses exclusively on industrial lubricants for the rail, oil and gas industries.

But in spite of a heritage stretching back longer than the meandering Mersey on its doorstep, the business is comparatively unknown in the city. “60% of our business’ turnover is export we export to 50 different countries, so do very little work on Merseyside,” says chairman Ian Meadows. “But we still plough £8 million every year into the local economy, and employ 80 people on this site (with 100 more in London).

“We employ a lot of local people, and we have a responsibility to them to make it viable as an area — the more cafés and shops and other people there are here, the better it is for our employees.

We want to continue to see that grow. But our car park is full — because people drive here. It would make such a difference to see the station reopened at St James, on the junction at the top here. But it needs a catalyst like the St James in the City development project to turn it into a reality. It needs critical mass.”

RS Clare has seen fortunes in this part of the city ebb and flow. Forty years ago, Meadows was the president of the Parliament Street Industrialist’s Association (PSIA) — the geographical predecessor of the Baltic Triangle.

“Our area then was not dissimilar at all to the Triangle now,” he says. “From Heap’s Rice Mill to Mill Street, and Higson’s to the Dock Road, the area was full of manufacturers and timber merchants. The PSIA was started up to reduce crime, which was endemic in the area; we reduced it by 72%.

“Our social responsibility is very important,” says Meadows. “In the 1980s it wasn’t very salubrious around here, but we couldn’t get out, so we had to make the most of it. In the last five years we’ve spent £1.5 million on a new grease plant, and three or four times that on a new laboratory and offices. We’ve been involved here since the beginning — and now they’ve all come and joined us! But I’m delighted to see that other people have taken that on; the digital and creative focus complements the traditional manufacturing sector. It’s important that we stay at the forefront of what we do. It’s vital that we’re modern and tech-led.”

Baltic has been home now for almost 250 years; RS Clare has survived and prospered, and continues to play a role in sharing that success with the community. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1998, the company raised £45,000 to help wouldbe entrepreneurs get into business, working alongside the Sirolli Foundation to focus on grassroots business. In 2014 the business made a decision to invest 0.5% of its pre-tax profits every year back into the local community, working both with entrepreneurs, and a community-based Old People’s Club.

As the old Parliament Street Industrial Area has morphed into the Baltic Triangle, Meadows says: “While you can often see these things as cyclical, we do feel responsible for the area — and certainly for the people that work here. The Baltic Triangle has created some real momentum — it’s good to see that it has kept growing, while other development has slowed down.”

Fiona Shaw

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With 600,000 square feet of unoccupied commercial space, the Triangle has had space to play with. Those sheds, warehouses and security huts have become offices, gallery space, flats... and bars, pubs, cafés and restaurants.

It’s fair to say that Baltic has had a significant impact on the city’s food scene.

Utilise 600,000 square feet of flexible space.

Baltic Market

Baltic Bakehouse

Baltic Market

Love Lane Brewery

Tangent Baltic Bakehouse Foxlight Creative Uncorked Jack

Pete Carr

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Launched on the 27 November 2014, the McKeown Rice Exhibition space is in memory of Baltic Creative CIC founder members, Claire McKeown and Paul Rice.

A collaboration between Baltic Triangle-based Castle Fine Arts, who designed and curate the space, and Baltic Creative who built, manage and maintain it, the plinth was designed by Castle Fine Arts’ architect Cintia Prieto.

“Mark Lawler approached us about the idea of creating an outdoor exhibition space to make better use of the corner and bring public art to the neighbourhood,” says Chris Butler of Castle Fine Arts.

“It was a symbol of how far Baltic Creative had come, as it prepared to celebrate its fifth birthday, and a chance for us to showcase some of the sculpture we make right on our doorstep. We agreed to design and curate the space with a new sculpture shown every six months. I’m trying to find work that reflects what we’re doing here.

Add flexible and dynamic ideas that could only happen in the Baltic Triangle.

“The idea was to create a neutral canvas; a backdrop for viewing the sculptures elevated on the plinth, which is a solid concrete foundation framed by a textured metal screen. Public sculpture forms a focal point. By incorporating seating into the design, the outdoor exhibition space becomes the place where the people can rest, think, meet, interact. The nature of temporary exhibitions requires a flexible space. The corner could exhibit sculptures or even be transformed as a stage for an artistic performance.”

Between 2014 and the time of writing, the space has housed eight pieces, designed by internationally renowned artists and created at Castle Fine Arts.

“The guys over the road in the tyre shop have become guardians of the plinth, which is nice and always come out to chat to us when we replace the pieces. We’ve only had good feedback since it’s been there and people have really taken care of the sculptures, and that’s a good response, too.”

The plinth has become a recognised feature of the Baltic Triangle and a regular lunch time spot for tenants at Baltic Creative, or students at the UTC and Studio School.

Works: Winter 2014 Days of judgement

by Laura Ford Summer 2015 Black Swan

by Kenny Hunter Winter 2015 Lying, Reading & Sitting Figures

by Carol Peace Summer 2016 Lady Hare Holding Dog

by Sophie Ryder

Winter 2016 The Greatest

by Andrew Edwards Summer 2017 The Waiting

by Anna Gillespie Winter 2017 Dipodiddy

by Brian Fell Spring 2019 Staffordshire Saxon

by Andrew Edwards

Andrew Beattie

* The Waiting by Anna Gillespie The McKeown Rice Exhibition space

Pete Carr

Pete Carr

Northern Lights Box

Jason Hollis’s vibrant mural on the new Baltic Creative CIC scheme Northern Lights is the city’s largest street art canvas, and rapidly made it the easiest building to spot in the Baltic Triangle. Creating an eye-catching contrast with Cains’ ‘terracotta palace’, its northern lights-inspired geometric shapes and angular roofline are one of the Triangle’s most identifiable sights.

“My artwork emerged from my attraction to the geometric shapes within rocks, crystals and minerals, and the lines that appear throughout my work represent the light refraction embodied within these objects,” says artist Jason. “Symmetry plays a huge role in my work. I find it fascinating that, as humans, we’re extremely captivated by such a thing, and I enjoy challenging this notion by taking the beauty of asymmetrical shapes created by the crystal formations and combining them with paradoxical constructions, while keeping order throughout each piece.”

Fiona Shaw

Hinterlands

Mann Street, Liverpool.

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What does it mean to you to be part of the Baltic Triangle?

Being in the Baltic means being part of a community with the space and skills to innovate. It’s a whole neighbourhood of open doors and chats over the fence... Rolling out ideas, trying things out on each other with each other; sometimes failing — often succeeding. But having the time, space and support to invent with diverse ideas, experience and, above all else, imagination.

How has the Baltic Triangle helped you and your business?

From pop-up to

permanent.

We simply wouldn’t exist without the Baltic Triangle... there are few places that can offer the kind of spaces we have here. And there are even fewer communities equipped with the ideas and skills to create events of scale and imagination that can bring the space to life.

What would you like to see happen in the future in the Baltic Triangle?

The working, living and visiting population has grown dramatically in a short time. This naturally puts an increasing strain on environment, transport and infrastructure. We, as a community, need to stay ahead of issues surrounding transportation and security, and the basic maintenance of the public areas around the Baltic.

What excites you about being part of the Baltic Triangle?

Five minutes with Camp and Furnace Tucked on the edge of Greenland Street, Camp and Furnace is one of the biggest venues in the Baltic Triangle — and one of its first landmarks, bringing reams of revellers to the heart of the Triangle. A cultural hub that has evolved from Edwardian beginnings to a new age of entertainment and event production, it’s reinvented itself as an eatery, bar, indoor festival site, photography studio and pop-up event space. Much like the Baltic Triangle, its evolution is one with creativity at its core.

With ‘ordinary’ consigned to the past, the venue prides itself on an ability to adapt daily to deliver some of the most diverse events in the city, bringing experiential nights to the many — not the few. As home of the infamous Bongo’s Bingo, it’s seen it travel — from its Baltic birthplace — across the corners of the UK, as well as to Amsterdam, Ibiza, Paris, Dubai and Australia.

Camp and Furnace has maintained its innovative reputation, persuading the masses to venture outside the city centre and enter a unique style of venue. Jen Howden spoke with Sam Hinde, communications manager at Camp and Furnace, about his love for the area and how its industrious spirit has enabled Camp and Furnace to expand and grow...

Potential. The Baltic has come a long way in the past six years, not including the impressive historical roots that ultimately began it all, and has successfully remained a prominent figure in the creative industry of Liverpool. We believe in development and renewal; things don’t stand still and what has been successful doesn’t necessarily remain so. It’s always about evolution and adaption. We’ve built a great eco-system in the Baltic Triangle, but it’s more than that — many of the businesses and brands developing here are becoming national entities. The city and region come here for ideas, spaces to work and places to play. So we’re excited to see the Baltic go beyond and become a national home for an independent creative industry.

Why did you choose to be in the Baltic Triangle?

The unique opportunities and spaces. The opportunity to work with creatives in developing our spaces. And the daily opportunities to work with other spaces to create multi-venue events, close streets and link the neighbourhood physically, socially and economically.

Jen Howden Dan Kenyon

Support our workers: welding, foundry, mechanics, sheds, bakery, joinery.

Flexible workplaces, creative incubation, drive-thru studios, study, play, performance, photography.

Joanna Rose

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Collaboration is a strong theme across the Baltic, with a variety of networks and events to support workers and freelancers alongside fledgling and more established businesses.

The Area CIC holds a range of stakeholder events, where anyone who lives, works or is interested in the Baltic Triangle is invited along to catch-up with events, hear about local developments, and contribute their thoughts, time and ideas. Jo Mountfort is a business advisor and programme manager at the Women’s Organisation, and sits on the Baltic Triangle Area CIC board.

“The Baltic Triangle is a rapidly developing community and one which it’s incredibly exciting to be a part of,” she says. “It’s a community where businesses, students, professionals and creatives come together to work and play. Between us, we’re contributing to something very special.

“Many of these groups are individuals or small clusters, so we identified a need to create an area platform which brings everyone together.

In response to this we set up Baltic Schmooze – a quarterly networking event where everyone is invited to come along, mingle and hear all the latest from the area.

“Each event comes with its own unique theme showcasing something, or somewhere, different in the area. We’ve had events on food, booze, education, music and much, much more. Everyone has the chance to chat, share, and be part of the community. We now attract anywhere between 80 – 100 people to each event and there’s always a welcoming and relaxed vibe.

“As area stakeholders, we reflected on the success of Baltic Schmooze and identified a growing appetite for further networking opportunities within the community. It was suggested that a day-time offering could also be beneficial: Breakfast Club was born. Same principles as Schmooze, but in the morning rather than evening. Offering both morning and evening networking opportunities allows us to cater to the growing variety of individuals who now work, play and live in the area.”

54 James Street The gleaming glass of 54 James Street is one of Baltic’s most striking buildings and is a flagship facility for nurturing entrepreneurship. Since opening its doors in 2011, it’s become one of the area’s leading social enterprises, helping establish over 1,000 new businesses, creating over 2,000 new jobs, providing a home to over 240 businesses. Much more than a highspec office and incubation centre, it’s become a community full of life, nurturing a diversity of people and enterprises; rich in intelligence, debate and shared purpose.

Developed by award-winning social enterprise The Women’s Organisation, 54 St James Street is a leading international research hub around women’s economic development, and the largest facility of its kind in Europe. Its CIC model sees the hire of meeting space, use of the café, Siren, and attendance at events contributing to support vulnerable women and disadvantaged communities.

“The Women’s Organisation established our 54 St James Street facility as a hub to nurture new and growing businesses. We are passionate about supporting local entrepreneurial talent and as such it’s essential to us that we’re part of an area which provides the opportunities and a platform for these businesses to collaborate and flourish,” says Mountfort. “And where better than in an area as pioneering as The Baltic Triangle?

“As we look forward to the coming years, we want to continue to collaborate with and contribute to this growing community and ensure that opportunities to support each other continue.”

Lucy Chesters

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Innovate Her

Innovate Her

Chelsea Slater, Innovate Her

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“Innovate Her exists to tackle the gender imbalance within the digital and tech sector. We’re proud to have started the organisation within the Baltic Triangle, which has a diverse and supportive community, full of forward thinking, innovative organisations that truly care about the work we do. We’re making sure that girls reap the success and opportunities that the Baltic has to offer; we launched here five years ago and have since established our own office here, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

We’re passionate about supporting local entrepreneurial talent… It’s essential to us that we’re part of an area which provides the opportunities and a platform for these businesses to collaborate and flourish.

Jo Mountfort, The Women's Org

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54 James Street

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Encourage independent retail; markets, vintage, thrift, low cost and high fashion.

Red Brick Vintage Cains Brewery Village has been one of the Liverpool success stories of the last few years, from the completion of Northern Lights to the opening of Baltic Market. However, none of this would have been feasible had it not been for the continued growth and success of Red Brick Vintage. Formerly nestled inside the main building of Cains Brewery (the ‘Terracotta Palace’, the red bricks of which lend themselves to Red Brick Vintage’s name) Red Brick Vintage is a sprawling mass of kitsch curios, beautiful antiques, forgotten records and classic fashions, sold by myriad vendors and collectors.

Run by Deborah Steggel, Red Brick Vintage has quickly become the premier location in the city for lovers of all things vintage, but it’s more than just a treasure-trove of forgotten items and wonderful furniture – it’s a blossoming hub of community spirit with a truly independent punk ethos running through its veins.

“We were part of the original Eric’s crowd,” says Deborah, surrounded by vintage fibreglass statues of the Virgin Mary in her office at the back of the labyrinthine building. “We all left and did our own things, but all these years later we’ve all come back. It’s misspent youth revisited.”

For Deborah this is more than just a place for people to push their wares – it’s a multifaceted operation that demands time care and affection. “We want to work with anyone and everyone who wants to,” says Jan. “But people without egos,” interjects Deborah. The two have been generous in accommodating people trying to get their dreams off the ground, or those who just need a space to develop their artistic and even culinary endeavours. “We’re not greedy so we can choose our traders and ensure that we only have reputable people here offering quality goods and services.”

The recent move into the back ‘hangar’ of the brewery has made Red Brick the de facto location for independent traders in Liverpool, sitting alongside the Grand Central crowd which have moved in from the city centre. Red brick also offers start-ups affordable space to set-up shop.

Everyone who walks past says hello to Deborah and she knows them all by name. “Everyone who has ever left has come back,” she smiles.

One of these people is Natalie, who designs bespoke repurposed caravans, and teaches flamenco dancing. “I’ve known Deborah since I was a teenager and what she’s doing here is fantastic. It’s bringing everyone back together; artists, dancers, traders – everyone.”

The mix of this ‘open to everyone’ attitude and the punk ethos is core to Red Brick’s success.

“It’s independent, but properly independent.

It’s real, it’s not plastic punk – people can smell bullshit a mile off,” she smiles.

Jack Atkins Emma Jones

Hannah Metcalfe

Constellations

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Harbour more music.

Threshold Festival “The evolution of Threshold Festival has been synonymous with the development of the Baltic Triangle. From our first annual event here in 2011 — when the area was little more than a small collection of likeminded creative individuals and organisations — to 2019, when it has become an international destination for innovation and a playground for the arts and music. We have been nurtured by the area and in turn have contributed to its growth as an open, inviting, experimental, friendly and forward-thinking community.”

Homegrown musicians, artists, poets and dancers congregate within the warehouses of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle - The Guardian

“A dizzying atmosphere, with an eclectic mix of popup installations, live stages, projections and ad hoc art events waiting to be discovered around every corner.”

- The Skinny

- Kaya Herstad Carney; Threshold Festival

“In 2018, Sound City, the UK’s leading independent festival and conference for new music moved to the Baltic Triangle, after previous tenures in the Ropewalks and Bramley Moore Docks areas of Liverpool. With Everton planning a new stadium at our former site at Bramley Moore, it was the perfect opportunity to return to showcasing emerging music in multiple venues.

“Baltic is the perfect place to do this — a thriving creative industries belt of games, media, music, art start-ups and established companies, plus an unrivalled mix of music venues ranging from 100 to 1,200 capacity spaces. The ideal place to spend three days every year showcasing more than 300 artists from over 40 different countries and across the UK, to an audience of 6,000 music lovers – including 2,000 music industry professionals from across the globe.

“Sound City contributes £2 million to the Liverpool economy every year. We’ve generated £20 million of contracts signed for companies taking part in our initiatives, since our inception in 2008. There’s nowhere in the UK where music venues are in such close proximity to one another and which happily co-exist alongside established and emerging creative industry start-ups, as the Baltic Triangle. We’re proud to call the Baltic Triangle the home of Sound City and we look forward to it continuing to flourish here over years to come.”

- Rebecca Ayres Managing director, Sound City

Jazamin Sinclair

Sound City

Melodic Distraction Based at 43 Jamaica Street the community radio station and blog Melodic Distraction was founded in November 2016 by two friends, Josh Aitman and James Zaremba. Today, the station is run by Josh, James, Tom and Nina, live music streaming online seven nights every week, and reaching over 750,000 listeners in its first 18 months.

“We also want to become an archive for the city — whether that’s radio, video or written.

It doesn’t have to be from this base — we can get out into the city and create live video or live stream acts too. You get a different vibe completely when a band is live. Whatever we need to do to get them out there.

“James and I were friends from university,” Josh tells us. “We wanted to run a party for our mates and play the music we wanted to play and it grew from there. We’d started blogging in the last year of university, and ran events at Constellations, where we worked. That grew into us programming live music.”

“The Baltic Triangle also has a fantastic core of clubs pushing forward live music and cutting edge electronic music. It’s a really interesting melting pot of promotors, artists and venues. There is a mentality that people want to put on something exciting that’s different and thought provoking.

In summer 2018 the group’s crowdfunding campaign successfully raised more than £10,000 to move to a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-aweek roster.

“Our ambition is to be a hub for music for Liverpool and the north west. We want to collaborate with people here and provide a platform for anyone in the city to reach their audiences and have an outlet to play music.

That’s our aim over the next two to three years.

“It’s become a natural home for us and it’s really useful for so many reasons. It’s a convenient space to house a station with so many other small independent businesses around us we can feed off, collaborating with other businesses — whether they’re tech companies, venues or recording studios. They can all feed in when you need support. That’s why the Baltic Triangle is really strong as a creative hub.”

Andrew Beattie Melodic Distraction

Hospitality is not just about the quality of our drinks. The Baltic newsletter goes out to nearly 9,000 readers, keeping everyone upto-date with area activity. You can sign up at www.baltictriangle.co.uk.

11 Be known as a place of warm hospitality.

Coffee & Fandisha Jennifer Graham caught up with co-founder Kimberley Sowah...

Why did you set up Coffee and Fandisha?

Keeley (McKenzie) and I wanted to bring something new to Liverpool. My partner is Ethiopian and I’m very much in touch with Ethiopian culture. I’m passionate about coffee; Keeley’s passionate about coffee. So we set up Coffee and Fandisha. We’re coffee lovers and love hanging out with coffee.

Why did you choose the Baltic Triangle as your base?

It’s an untouched part of Liverpool. We felt that it met the values of our business, an independent business. The area itself is quite creative and full of other independent businesses. We wanted to be somewhere quite central, but not as commercial as the city centre.

How important is hospitality to Coffee and Fandisha?

Extremely! We’re both passionate and genuine people. When a customer comes into the shop, whether it’s their first visit or they’re a regular, we want to invite them and make them feel welcome — give them a unique hospitable experience.

Has Coffee and Fandisha changed from your initial ideas for the place?

In all honesty, I don’t think it has. From the outset we said we were going to provide something complimentary to our customers and that is the popcorn — ‘fandisha’ – and we’ve done that. That’s how it would work in a traditional Ethiopian ceremony; it’s traditional to have popcorn with coffee.

We thought, why not give something back to our customers?

Do you have plans to expand your business?

We would love to open another Coffee and Fandisha in a different part of Liverpool – on the outskirts maybe, or in a completely different city. London would be great.

Keeley lived in London for 12 years, I was in London for a little bit, so if we were able to open one there, we’d feel that we’d been really successful. What we don’t want to do is open another one just for the sake of it. We want to remain true to the values of the business.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Coffee and Fandisha’s story?

We’re not just business partners, we’ve been friends for over 25 years. I think it gives richness to the business because we have an understanding of each other and what we both want. We’re really true to ourselves and we want to give something new to the Liverpool coffee scene.

How have your customers responded to your style of Ethiopian hospitality?

In a really positive way. Some of our customers know a lot about Ethiopian culture, some don’t. Those who don’t are really intrigued. The name Coffee and Fandisha itself is intriguing – we’ve had a really good response. We’ve made something that’s been happening for years, really contemporary.

Jennifer Graham Coffee & Fandisha

Antonio Franco

12 Choose from Positive Vibrations, Laces Out and Threshold; pick Liverpool Disco Festival, or the city’s returning flagship music fezz, Sound City. Or there’s the one created for the innovators, inventors, leaders, makers and creators. The one that’s designed to showcase, inspire and support creativity and innovation, encourage collaboration, foster entrepreneurship, retain and boost new talent.

Be a festival zone; pop-up theatre, silent cinema, gigs, festivals, exhibitionism, new music seminars, Liverpool fringe events – spillover from the waterfront and centre.

Pulling an audience from across the north west, Binary binds the city’s digital district with the Science Park and wider tech, creative and business community. Designed to dovetail with the Baltic Triangle’s tech vision, the idea was forged in The Shed at Baltic Creative. Fifteen tenants met to discuss hosting a series of digital-focused events around gaming, mobile apps, web design, and film and photography. It’s segued from its two-day, 18-gathering format in year one, to a boutique one-day, eight gathering event in year three, featuring more than 300 attendees. We caught up with Binary event producer Jan Carlyle.

“Binary was born out of the Baltic Triangle; there was a community here wanting to do something to celebrate the activity in the area, especially in the digital and creative sector.

It celebrates the achievements within that community and also the digital community across Liverpool,” she says.

During the festival, studios open their offices and workplaces to the attendees as part of the gathering process. A keynote, crammed with inspirational speakers, is followed by a shared lunch in Baltic Market. In the afternoon there are in-depth workshops, where guests can learn something to take away with them. It’s blazed a trail in three short years, creating a platform in the city for augmented reality; for VR; crowdfunding, crowdsourcing and particle physics. Among many many other innovations.

“The first Binary festival in 2016 lasted a couple of days; we soon realised that people within the creative and digital industries — the founders, the CEOs, the entrepreneurs — didn’t have two days to take out of their schedule, although some events were well attended. In 2018, we took Binary down to one day with a social event in the evening, and found that numbers and engagement went up.

“Binary wouldn’t exist without the Baltic — the community came up with the idea,’ says Jan. ‘Baltic Creative CIC is the main funder, supporter and driver, and a lot of the businesses highlighted and promoted in the workshops are Baltic businesses. Liverpool has such an incredible amount of collaboration and relationships are really open — with lots of traction in terms of talking to each other and a willingness to work together.

“Venues are what make the Baltic what it is, as well as the businesses. Venues’ flexibility, and their approach – plus their close proximity to one another — make Baltic very special. It’s also super accessible and the parking’s great.

Everything about the area makes it conducive with the festival because of the amount of venues available. We work across the city but our density will always be in Baltic.”

Fiona Shaw

13

Support urbanism, urban leisure, urban community.

The initial strategy was simple: fill the area with people and the rest will follow. A decade ago, many of the area’s large empty buildings served only as a testament to the city’s past, when over 40% of the world’s trade was passing through Liverpool’s docks.

Large warehouses and introverted industrial units presented unique problems and creative reinvention was required to house a new creative, media and digital industry.

These initial regeneration projects allowed the Baltic Triangle to boast a range of unique attributes and the following is to name but a few. A derelict recycling yard is now home to Constellations: an award-winning timber frame ‘pavilion’ bar and events venue. One of the city’s largest warehouses, once storage for cargo, spices and coffee is now Elevator Studios, a hub of creative workspaces and music recording facilities. Baltic Creative has become one of the city’s largest providers of innovative creative workspaces: from an internal street of ‘shed’ studios to large loading bay gallery spaces and shop-front offices. Camp and Furnace, once the metaphorical outpost within the Baltic’s industrial landscape, is now joined by several bars, breweries, coffee shops and a bakery.

The Univeristy Technical College and Studio School are already forging strong links with creative companies in the area and city region.

Refurbished and new-build developments sit side-by-side with derelict buildings, vacant plots and future opportunities.

In contrast to wholesale regeneration projects, the Baltic Triangle has been developed in a piecemeal fashion, avoiding the danger

of macabre reinvention. Well established light-industrial businesses reinforce the area’s reputation as a ‘making’ place, as cold forged metal press companies; wholesalers, blacksmitheries and timber workshops co-exist with web developers and gaming companies.

The Baltic Triangle is a work in progress and successful regeneration comes from realising a collective vision, with strong relationships between local government, developers, designers and stakeholders. The creative and digital sector has influenced how investment and development is delivered in the Baltic.

This cluster, the second fastest growing tech sector in the UK, is being served by developers, architects and designers who understand the sector’s value to the city. Streets are becoming more vibrant and active, with many developments incorporating ground floor commercial spaces for creative and digital companies; private developer investment in public art platforms and street art festivals. The volume of commercial space is set to double in the next two years, including projects for the provision of arts, rehearsal, maker spaces, film production and theatre. In addition to this is a large number of residential units, a growing nighttime economy and the potential for a new underground station firmly establishing the area on the infrastructure map.

However, despite all the achievements to date, maintaining the momentum of development and increasing the critical mass of people, living, work and visiting the area is essential to guarantee the Baltic Triangle’s long-term success.

Miles Pearson

A Baltic Triangle for the future.

LDA Design has been appointed by the city council to create a spatial regeneration framework (SRF) for the Baltic Triangle. Designed to supplement local plan policy and aid the council in guiding the positive development of the area, the SRF will encourage design quality, place making and a sustainable mix of uses. LDA’s approach is shaped by the people who use an area: “We make great places where people belong,” it says. “Our approach is ‘first life, then spaces, then buildings.’”

Late spring will see a charrette — a collaborative design meeting — between businesses, landowners, stakeholders and the LDA team. It will look at the Triangle in its entirety, considering — among many other things — appropriate heights for developments; public space; key routes through the area; missing development opportunities and seek to improve pedestrian access, bringing the Triangle closer to the city centre.

The plan — and policies and principles that will accompany it — should be adopted by the end of 2019.

John Johnson

Ultimately the SRF’s aim is to create a balance between the area’s creative and independent character — whilst providing a platform for economic and residential growth. The SRF will not seek to restrict development, instead it will encourage the best type of development, which will enhance the area and have a lasting positive impact. It will take into account and build on the area’s successes, whilst recognising its limitations and issues which need to be overcome.

Nurture a transport plan that is green, yellow, exotic and practical.

Buses

Of the four stations in the Baltic Triangle area (St James Street, Jamaica Street South, Baltic Creative and Cains Brewery Village), all have shown increasing rentals since their installation; Jamaica Street South consistently appears in the top ten most-used stations.

The Baltic Triangle is served by a number of bus routes — currently the 204 bus runs down Jamaica Street, Baltic’s main artery. These bus routes run infrequently down Park Lane and Parliament Street, along the edges of the Triangle.

Previous analysis of the top ten stations showed that the top journeys from Jamaica Street South were to the stations at John Lewis at Liverpool One, Hanover Street and Church Street.

Merseytravel is willing to act as a conduit between residents of the Baltic Triangle and the bus operators (mainly Arriva and Stagecoach) and help create the business case for re-routed pre-existing bus routes as demand increases.

There are no plans to expand Citybike stations currently, although this may change, depending on new developments taking place in the area.

“Following a successful funding bid, the City Council is currently developing plans to provide a ‘Green Route’ linking the RopeWalks area of the city with Queen’s Wharf, the route would pass through Chinatown and the Baltic Triangle.

This would allow pedestrians and cyclists a safe and secure route through the area and improve links between the city centre, Baltic Triangle and the waterfront. This would have a positive impact on businesses and residents as it would provide a safe and secure route from the city centre and encourage people to visit the area. Funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Growth Deal for Sustainable Transport Enhancements Programme will be used by Liverpool City Council to carry out a number of public realm improvements to the ‘Baltic Triangle Active Travel Route’.

* Information provided by Karen Stevens, Cycling and Walking officer at Liverpool City Council, and Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel.

Train icon by OCHA /Bike icon by Freepik / Bus icon by Freepik All from www.flaticon.com

14

Bikes

- Baltic Triangle Development Framework

Andrew Beattie Russell Gannon

Trains “The Baltic Triangle Area Company has, since its inception five years ago, lobbied and supported the idea of reopening the St James Train Station.

This would be a catalyst for the ongoing development of the Baltic and would not only serve Baltic Triangle businesses but the waterfront, L8 and L1 resident communities, both cathedrals and further support the Cains Brewery Village opportunity. It would be a game-changer for the Baltic.”

- Mark Lawler, co-chair of the Baltic Triangle Stakeholders group and managing director of Baltic Creative CIC

Vicente Veras

St James Street Station is one of 30 proposed new stations under consideration

by Merseytravel across the city region. The station would cost upwards of £10 million to complete, which could be funded in part by private sector contributions.

New stations can take up to five years to complete from the start of feasibility studies and Merseytravel plans to expand the network by one new station every five years at present.

“Merseyrail also has an ambition to reopen the abandoned St James Station.

Closed in 1917, it sits in a cutting close to the junction of Parliament Street and St James Place. The problem is that the area for the platforms is too narrow to accommodate the width required for modern safety standards; the work necessary will require substantial excavation into the adjoining rock walls. Although an expensive project, the requirement for direct access into the area is key to attracting larger businesses and increasing employment opportunities.

Merseytravel has commissioned an ‘Initial Demand and Benefit Study’ to look at the potential opening of a new station at either St James or Chinatown.

With the number of proposed and confirmed new developments such as Kings Waterfront, New Chinatown and Cains Brewery Village which would all, combined, introduce significant new footfall into the area, a new station would provide a vital transport hub directly to employment sites. Although not finalised and published, the initial findings of the study show that the opening of a new station is feasible, albeit at a high cost, with a potential for over 2m new passengers trips in 2021.”

- Baltic Triangle Development Framework

15

Bring knowledge;

Fiona Shaw

create opportunities.

Share learning and innovate.

The UTC works closely with Liverpool’s award-winning research institutions and local businesses to create specialised vocational qualifications and educational experiences for its students.

The Liverpool City Region has one of the largest concentrations of science and healthcare professionals in the UK, and UTC students complete placements with the Royal Liverpool University and Broadgreen Hospital Trust, the School of Tropical Medicine, Unilever and the University of Liverpool, amongst others.

Being in the Baltic is one of the key drivers which appeals to students across the Liverpool City Region…

“It’s always busy and there’s so much stuff going on. It’s fantastic being around businesses – there’s such an opportunity to meet people, and you’re surrounded by people with similar interests,’ says Beth — a former UTC student.

A short skip upstairs, and you’ll find the Studio School, a Baltic resident since 2013 and a stone’s throw from some of the business community’s key influencers, who are on hand

The Studio School is a popular choice amongst students and parents who are keen to specialise in the creative and digital industries…

“We saw the advert for the school, and we came along to the open days and thought it sounded brilliant,” says a Studio School parent. “Within the first six months our daughter came out of her shell, doing presentations to auditoriums of people. It was incredible. The school pushed her, and some amazing teachers have helped her on her way — even down to the dress code, where they dress every day like they have a job interview. It’s given them freedom, while setting them up for the real world.”

Both part of the Northern Schools Trust, the Baltic’s Life Sciences UTC and Studio School have both been rated Good with Outstanding Features, in recent Ofsted inspections.

“There is a shared vision to prepare students well for employment.

As a result, this is an orderly and business-like setting where students and staff work together cooperatively and purposefully.”

- Ofsted, Studio School

Allan Melia Life Science UTC students in the health suite

Two separate schools with very different specialisms, the UTC is the first school in the UK to specialise in science, healthcare and engineering; whilst the Studio has a creative and digital focus.

“The opportunities with the local businesses were great, we worked with them a lot,’ says Jack — a recent graduate from the Studio School. “They often came in [to the school] and we applied for internships through the school. There’s opportunities here that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Studio School

Striding ahead of the curve, the Life Sciences UTC and neighbouring Studio School provide a unique educational experience for their students. Nestled in the heart of the Baltic Triangle, the next generation of creatives and health care practitioners are hard at work.

Located on Greenland Street, in one of the area’s iconic red brick warehouses, this is the training ground for future scientists, health care professionals, gamers, coders, designers, engineers and entrepreneurs.

to help the students to become industry-ready.

By immersing its students in local businesses including, Baltic Creative, VTime, FACT and Liverpool Sound City, students benefit from mentoring, specialist workshops and a helping hand in securing their first professional role after graduation.

Studio School artwork

The world is changing. And, there’s nowhere this rings truer than the future of our global workforce. Today, businesses are looking for experience and an enterprising attitude, as well as A levels and accreditations; our education system needs to catch up and reflect this.

Lucy Chesters

Pete Carr

Gaming is thriving in the Baltic Triangle.

At first glance, Jamaica Street is surrounded by roofing services, joiners and mechanics. But, inside these old warehouses, hides a booming tech industry. Baltic Creative CIC was established in 2009, designed to invest in diverse spaces catering to Liverpool’s booming creative and digital sector. Today, it owns 118,000sq/ft of space and houses more than 150 tech businesses, playing a major role in area’s regeneration. Part incubator, part developer and part innovator, it nurtures the city’s tech scene with a flexible approach that supports early-stage and growing creative and digital businesses.

Baltic Creative has been a focal point for creative and digital businesses in the area.

We spoke to one of Europe’s top tech startups, vTime. Founded in 2013, the studio specialises in virtual and augmented reality engagement technology. Flagship product vTime – a VR social network that allows anyone, anywhere to socialise with family and friends in virtual reality — is enjoyed by users in over 190 countries, with just under a million downloads to date.

Long-time Elevator residents, we asked what the area means to them...

Managing director Clemens Wangerin also sits on the board of Baltic Creative. He says: “Being part of the Baltic Triangle means you’re part of something different. A place that feels different, looks different and is home to a diverse mix of people that are there for different reasons: to work, to unwind, to entertain, to dance, to learn, to eat, to shop; to make use of services, to meet friends, to live... and the list keeps growing.

Liverpool buzzes with creativity and has a culture of storytelling which has been woven into the gaming world. The fusion of stories and game tech has blossomed here, influencing other companies in the Baltic Triangle such as BAFTA nominees Lucid Games and Playrise Digital, who have created games for major consoles including PlayStation and Xbox.

The influence of Sony on the city’s game industry — bought by Sony in 1993, Psygnosis became the tech giant’s oldest and secondlargest development studio — remains. When its final incarnation, Studio Liverpool, closed in 2012, it left the city with a legacy of highly skilled, innovative developers. Many of whom headed straight for the Baltic Triangle.

Wangerin explains why the digital crowd has gravitated towards the Baltic Triangle and how they work together. “We are actively using other companies and individuals based in the area for our business — whether that’s brand identity, web development or freelancers.

Being able to easily meet face to face and in easy walking distance is a big plus. And the choice of suppliers keeps growing.”

People are ‘captivated’ by the area, he says: “All the business I’ve been involved with in the last six years or so have been in the Baltic Triangle because it was affordable, close to the city centre, has good internet connections, and feels accessible.” But the area has developed a pull that’s about more than business and connections — “it’s started to develop an identity that spans day and night, weekday and weekend,” he says. “Even working there during the week, I don’t hesitate to go on a weekend to meet friends over coffee, enjoy a night out or some culture.” vTime has taken a big leap and is leading the way for VR technology — we’re excited to see where it will take us next.

Jen Howden

Citrus Suite

16 Amplify the creative and digital economy from start-up to scale-up.

Around the corner, over 15 tech companies are based in Elevator alone. The city is experiencing a grassroots-driven explosion of talent, with companies blazing a trail through their use of cutting-edge technologies.

It’s probably the most unique location in Liverpool’s L1 postcode right now and – with all that keeps happening here — it is likely to be that way for a good while yet.”

Emma Jones

17

Living here: help shape the experience.

Diana and her husband Thomas moved to the Baltic Triangle in September 2006, and their three children León, Coco and Paco arrived during the decade they spent living here. They are familiar faces in the area, involved and engaged in activity around the local area. ‘We are really attached to it here — we feel very connected to the area,’ says Diana.

“When we moved we had two days to find somewhere and looked at 13 places, but we really wanted to live here. We wanted something old and characterful; we wanted outdoor space and big bedrooms… We got none of those things in the end, but it is light and bright and has a great kitchen/ diner/ family room. There was nothing here when we moved in.

The hotel wasn’t there; the Pilkington warehouse was just up the road — but the only businesses around here were garages or industrial businesses.”

We feel a real attachment to the Baltic Triangle — something special happened here.

The couple moved to the UK from Berlin — though Diana’s roots are Cuban — when Ryanair pilot Thomas was posted overseas, bringing their cosmopolitan, continental view of city living to the Triangle.

Diana started her own business in 2010, with support from the Women’s Organisation (known as Train 2000 at the time). “They were based in the Wellington Buildings,” remembers Diana, “and moved over to St James Street — that was my first sense of this becoming an ‘area’. I remember seeing the Baltic Creative plan presented, and Jayne Casey (Baltic Creative director), standing there and saying of the village within a building, ‘this is for the creatives’. It was really exciting. I can remember coming home to Thomas and saying ‘it’s going to be busy around here’.”

Fiona Shaw

The family saw huge change during its ten years in the Triangle: the former sewing warehouses that now provide a home for the UTC, Studio School and Elevator Studios became the Contemporary Urban Centre after the 2006 Biennial; luxury apartments with a concierge are being built across the street.

They remain excited by the buzz of living in a city centre. “We walked over to the people’s opening for Capital of Culture at the arena; we had the Giants going past our balcony,” grins Thomas. German preconceptions about Liverpool aren’t far removed from many others, by all accounts. “People in Germany think about the Beatles and Liverpool being an industrial city,” says Diana. “But we fell in love with it in a month, and decided to stay here. This is our home now.

“The whole city centre is our base. Liverpool is a small city, so nothing is more than half an hour’s walk away. But we feel a real attachment to the Baltic Triangle — something special happened here. We’ve got to know many of the local business owners around here in the last few years, from Alison Appleton to the garage owners. But it’s sad that the older businesses are being made to leave — the cabinet makers and the garages are all closing down.”

But, after a decade of excitement, change and the search for community, the family has recently moved further into town, in a bid to find more space for its growing brood. “We would have loved to stay here,” says Diana. “We even looked at self-building, but the area is being developed so heavily that by the time we started looking for property it was already too late,” adds Thomas. “Families would like to live here, but everything is built with a maximum of two bedrooms, and no outside space, so we had to look further afield. There is a perception here that you live in the city centre when you are young, and when you get married and have a family you move out to the suburbs.”

Thomas is passionate about his home, and community – and the perception of missed opportunities: “Everything is seen as an asset here and handed over to the developers.

Where is the vision? The developments are so uninspired — building a community takes

commitment, but this area is designed to be so transient. Nothing residential is built for anyone who wants to settle here, so there is no community of residents. No ‘community of the interested’.

“You want people to love it so much that they never want to move away. Communities develop when you raise a new generation. We will always be newcomers, but our children were all born here and this is their community.

Lots of families have the same issues as us, but if you can’t hold a resident for two generations, how short-sighted is that?”

As a pilot based at Liverpool John Lennon airport, Thomas can physically see the numbers of people arriving in and leaving the city.

“Successful cities make the city nice for the people that live there; first people come to live; then others to visit, and then the businesses follow. I’m concerned that it seems that our momentum from Capital of Culture year is slowing. The number of planes we have based at Liverpool Airport has halved since Capital of Culture. So much still happens here, but we must make sure that people know about it — both visitors, and the people who live here.

We need to make sure it is a city that people continue to love. That is the challenge…”

Future homes Director Mark Lawler says that the Area CIC has long recognised the need to increase the number of people living in the Triangle. “Permanent residents bring lots of advantages and, with a growing creative and digital business community, the people that work in those businesses will benefit from a residential offer which better suits their lives.”

The Area Company is keen to support a growth in both private rented accommodation and for-sale homes, and picks up Thomas’ point about families, alongside young professionals. “We’re hoping to see more new two — and three — bedroom homes developed. We also think there is an emerging market for co-live accommodation — somewhere where young professionals can come together to live and experience the burgeoning environment which supports their lifestyle. This colive rented offer creates a soft landing for new people moving to Liverpool — many of whom are joining our growing creative and digital businesses.”

18

New things will still happen all the time.

As of 2019 the Baltic Triangle has abundant space to grow – whether that’s new spaces to open, existing spaces to be reused in new and unimaginable ways, new types of businesses to open, new people living here or new events and happenings. Despite the area’s rich history, it still feels as if we’re all just getting started here. That’s why the people here love being here – and why people that aren’t — love coming here. We’re helping to shape a constantly-evolving place in our own ways, using our manifesto as a guide.

The year is 2029, and the Baltic Triangle is a diverse melting pot of residents and workers.

Many families have lived here now for seven years, alongside students and workers from the varied businesses based here. The Baltic Triangle sometimes feels like a village to our residents; close enough to get to town — or anywhere else for that matter — but everything is here on your doorstep too. We have shops to shop in, entertainment for all ages, spaces to gather and linger, trees to climb, work to be done, new locally-made clothes to try on, parties to dance at and cultural happenings to enjoy.

The Baltic remains the best place in the city to open your new business, whether that’s a creative endeavour, a technology business, a new bricks-and-mortar retailer or a food entrepreneur. Many of the businesses that started here in 2019 are still here, and that lived experience provides the perfect support network and experience to help your new idea get off the ground.

Tens of thousands of people pour into the Baltic Triangle each week for work, to study, to soak up the best live music anywhere in the region, to eat at our restaurants, drink in our bars and shop in our shops. They come on foot, easily by bike on our cycle-friendly streets, by bus, or by car. It’s easy to get here — we’re well connected and easy to get around. But most people come here on the train, from north or south, through St James Station.

For the past five years, for a week in the summer, we turn the Baltic Triangle into a festival ground, closing Jamaica Street for the week to traffic and head out onto the street for a summer. This is a chance for us to all meet — for young and old, from our current students to long-time stalwarts — to play together, to enjoy live music, to meet our guests.

Our shared spirit is egalitarian. That’s how we do it here. We work hand in hand to help each other thrive. We turn up at each other’s launches, support each other’s ventures, and buy from each other. But mostly we are responsible neighbours. We understand that the things that make the Baltic Triangle a special place are worth protecting. Our music venues, our cultural offerings, our workspaces, venues, students and residents live side-by-side. It’s not always easy, but we talk to each other and we know the value that each of us brings here — and so we make it work for everyone. We take care of each other and the place.

And there is still space to grow, new people to come here, new investments to be made and new things to happen. What’s next?

Andrew Beattie

Baltic in development The Baltic Triangle continues to ebb and flow; grow and develop.

Opportunities arise all of the time – new businesses, tenants and tourists arrive and the Baltic Triangle adapts. These are current proposed and in development projects, data correct as of October 2018.

Tabley Street, Baltic, L1 2HB Hurst Street, Baltic, L1 8DN

Former Bogan’s No. of apartments: 156 Apartment types: studio, 1 and 2 bed Address: Baltic Triangle, L1 5HA Heaps Mill No. of apartments: 800 Apartment type: studio, 1, 2 and 3 bed Address: 1 Park Lane, Liverpool, L1 5EX

Brewery Village (Cains) No. of apartments: 1400/1500 Apartment types: studio, 1, 2 and 3 bed Address: Baltic, L8 5XJ

55

apartments

204

1 and 2 bed

apartments 1,2,3 bed and townhouses

St James Court No. of apartments: 157 Apartment types: studio, 1 and 2 bed Address: Baltic Triangle, L1 5HA

Parliament Residences Phase 2

One Baltic Square No. of apartments: 301 Apartment types: 1 and 2 bed Address: Grafton St, Liverpool, L8 4QX Brassey Street No. of apartments: 246 Apartment types: 1 and 2 bed Address: Brassey St, Liverpool, L8 5XP

102

apartments

145

1, 2 and 3 bed

apartments 1, 2 and 3 bed

2 3 4 27 Bridgewater Street, Baltic, L1 0AR 5 townhouses / 3 and 4 bed

Norfolk House No. of apartments: 306 bed hotel and apartments Apartment types: hotel and apartments Address: Norfolk Street, L1 0AR

Glenville Street, Baltic, L1 5JR

The Eight Building

1

1902

ART Apartments

Kings Dock Mill Phase 2

L1 0AJ

Proposed

Bogan’s Carpets

5

Norton’s No. of apartments 650 Apartment types: 1, 2 and 3 bed Address: Flint Street, Baltic, L1 0DH

Greenland St/Great George Street No. of apartments: 505 Apartment types: studios, 1, 2 and 3 bed Address: Greenland St/Great George St, Liverpool, L1 0BS

35 Bridgewater Street No. of apartments: 43 Apartment types: 1, 2 and 3 bed Address: 35 Bridgewater Street, Baltic, L1 0AJ

Baltic Triangle tenants come from the fields of

advertising

Baltic in numbers

architecture

art

charity & the third sector construction

craft

design

education

festivals

Over

1,000

apartments have been completed since 2012;

448

are currently on site;

over

film 2,570 food & drink

galleries

IT

hair & beauty

leisure

magazine marketing

music

performance

photography professional services

publishing

retail

software development

TV & video

visual arts To name just a few.

Its potential is vast.

more have received or are seeking planning approval.

350

student bedrooms have been built;

150

more are on site,

with over

400 proposed

The Sefton Street corridor, south of the Baltic Triangle, is an extended mixed use zone along the riverfront. It is expected to become the heart of a push for more residential developments along this stretch of south Liverpool.

Baltic is a high profile location, in close proximity to the city centre, with distinctive rich heritage and historic character. The area covers threequarters of a square mile and supports 4,000 people in work. There are 500 businesses operating in the Triangle, with 30+ venues. It is ranked in The Times’ top five places to live in UK.

£128m

has been invested in new developments in the Baltic Triangle since January 2012 — plus £62m currently on site.

£600m

of development planned for Baltic Triangle, between schemes with and currently seeking planning permission.

500

new jobs have been created since January 2012, with a further 45 new jobs possible in developments currently on site. 800 are planned in future schemes…

£3bn

has been invested in schemes either on site or due to commence imminently, in the neighbouring Knowledge Quarter Mayoral Development Zone and the Liverpool City Enterprise Zone.

Kings Waterfront — home to the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and three new hotels, is ten minutes’ walk; the £1bn Liverpool One shopping and leisure complex is also ten minutes’ walk away; Liverpool John Lennon Airport is eight miles south.

Europe’s oldest Chinese community, dating back to the early 1800s, borders the Triangle.

There are just shy of 350 hotel beds in the Triangle, within walking distance of tourist attractions including the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, Beatles Museum, Liverpool One, Tate Liverpool and Echo Arena.

A luxury 306 bed hotel on Chaloner Street has been approved.

Baltic’s community has identified transport links as its primary focus for improvement. 92% of Baltic Census survey respondents say that they, their clients or staff would use a re-opened St James Station.

According to the 2018 Baltic Census, 87% of businesses in the area lease their workspace; 13% own.

Cains Brewery Village’s first tenant moved in in March 2016. It now supports 35 direct tenants, occupying 240,000 sq ft, including 60 business owners and 300 staff.

There are a further 265 sub-tenant units with another 700 staff – with 100,000 sq ft still to be let. * Information supplied by Cains Brewery Village

Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio, Liverpool provide education for 14-19 year olds in the £4.5m refurbished CUC building.

Combining practical and academic studies with respective focuses on life sciences and digital and creative, more than 800 students visit the Triangle every day.

54 St James Street is not only an internationallyrenowned centre for entrepreneurship and economic development, but is home to over 230 businesses. * Information taken from Baltic Triangle Area Survey

Elevator Studios is one of the area’s anchor spaces — the Grade II listed building provides 90,000 sq ft of flexible space for artists, musicians and commercial businesses. * Information taken from Baltic Triangle Area Survey

Key development opportunities: Kings Dock Street Industrial Estate Total site area: 2.84 hectares / 7 acres Suitable uses: Offices & Creatives, Leisure & Assembly, Workspaces, Institutions & Education, Hotel, Residential Ownership: Mostly private sector with some Council ownership Head Street Industrial Estate Total site area: 0.45 hectares / 1.11 acres Suitable uses: Light Industrial, Storage Ownership: Liverpool City Council St James Place/Mill Street/Gore Street

The Northern Lights development, an artist-led space, is in the former Cains canning warehouse and has created 45,000 sq ft of dedicated affordable creative commercial space and is home to 108 jobs. * Information supplied by Baltic Creative

Baltic Creative now manages 180,000 sq ft, supporting 153 companies and 500 people in work. Baltic’s new ‘Digital House’ at 61- 65 Norfolk Street will provide 17,000 sq ft of commercial space and support 150 jobs while 2-6 Jordan Street will create an additional 35,000 sq ft of commercial space and bring another 250 jobs to the area. * Information supplied by Baltic Creative

Total site area: 1.37 hectares / 3.38 acres Suitable uses: Residential Ownership: Mostly Liverpool City Council

Norton Scrap Site, Chaloner Street/ Parliament Street/Flint Street Total site area: 0.79 hectares / 1.95 acres Suitable uses: Offices & Creatives, Leisure & Assembly, Workspaces, Institutions & Education, Hotel, Residential Ownership: Private sector St James Quarter: Upper Stanhope Street/Dexter Street Total site area: 0.55 hectares / 1.11 acres Suitable uses: Residential Ownership: Mostly private ownership with some (20%) Liverpool City Council East Side of Sefton Street, 39-41 Sefton Street/3-15 Hill Street Total site area: 0.45 hectares / 1.11 acres Suitable uses: Offices & Creatives, Leisure & Assembly, Workspaces, Institutions & Education, Hotel, Residential Ownership: Private sector *Statistics – unless otherwise credited – are taken from the Baltic Triangle Development Framework, September 2017

Map designed by Sam Jones https://cargocollective.com/samjonesdesign

Credits A manifesto was made possible through the generosity of Baltic Creative, Bruntwood, Pearson Architects and The Women’s Organisation.

Baltic Triangle Area Company directors Chris Green - Baltic Creative CIC Liam Kelly – Make Liverpool Mark Lawler – Baltic Creative Lyndsay MacAulay – Northern Schools Trust Jo Mountfort – The Women’s Organisation Russell Gannon – Easytech Solutions Tristan Brady-Jacobs – Hobo Kiosk Baltic Triangle Area Company Events Team Russell Gannon Chris Green Alison James Alex Kelly Liam Kelly Jo Mountfort Contributors: Jack Atkins, Andrew Beattie, Lucy Chesters, Jennifer Graham, Jen Howden, Miles Pearson, Fiona Shaw Photographers: Keith Ainsworth, Baltic Bakehouse, Pete Carr, Baltic Creative, Foxlight Creative, Melodic Distraction, Antonio Franco, Coffee & Fandisha, Russell Gannon, Higsons, Hinterlands, Emma Jones, John Johnson, Uncorked Jacks, Dan Kenyon, Allan Melia, Hannah Metcalfe, Miles Pearson, Joanna Rose, Citrus Suite, Fiona Shaw, Jazamin Sinclair, Studio School, Tangent, Vicente Veras Design by Emma Jones Map designed by Sam Jones Produced and published by Wordscape Find out more online: Visit our website baltictriangle.co.uk or email: info@baltictriangle.co.uk

#teambaltic Team Baltic is the affectionate term we use in the area to describe the comradely spirit amongst friends, colleagues and businesses.

Together, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve achieved so much over the last decade; lending, borrowing, trading, trying, crying and celebrating together. The spirit of collaboration over competition is very much part of why our tenants and residents, visitors and collaborators choose to be part of #teambaltic.

A manifesto. baltictriangle.co.uk