Visual artist Cassie Hutchinson was tired of working at home alone on her art practice. Here’s how she flipped this experience to create a new community.
Written by Renew Adelaide
Finding the perfect space
After years of searching for a creative space that would offer a sense of community and allow her to grow her business, she found the key: establishing her own.
So, with Renew Adelaide’s support, The Rundle Collective was born in November 2022. The space saw five artists working together under one stunning roof in Adelaide Arcade, surrounded by heritage features and bathed in natural light.
“I wanted to build a studio collective that was collaborative, creative and welcoming,” Cassie says of the venture. “Somewhere that artists actually wanted to come to work in, so the space would feel active and full of life”.
A new era
Having set the blueprint with this first iteration, she quickly saw opportunity to expand, graduating from the Renew Adelaide program in June 2023 and taking a commercial lease on a much larger tenancy in Gawler Place with the team’s support.
This new space – which had been vacant for five years prior – is home to 34 creative practitioners, all of whom contribute to a vibrant, dynamic and thriving community. The cultural vibrancy the space has brought to the precinct is immeasurable, with artists running workshops and events and bringing constant traffic through the colourful second floor.
A building block for sustainable arts practice
The Rundle Collective has also given Cassie and the artists she works with the opportunity to grow independently as businesses. Her vast experience in business management and marketing gives her studio artists access to a wealth of advice that has helped them to further their careers. Cassie has supported her community with setting up online stores, optimising their websites, social media marketing, setting up exhibitions and providing sales and retail opportunities both locally and nationally.
“Through The Rundle Collective, we’ve been able to build a more sustainable business community. We help not only by providing affordable spaces for people to run their business, but also by establishing a community that supports them to grow and thrive so they can become self-sufficient into the future and do what they love forever.”