Welsh Cooperative Indycube's Expansion in London

Earlier this year, Welsh born cooperative Indycube Community ventured further into London, launching their coworking space in central Walthamstow. Though Indycube, founder Mark Hooper had plans to expand across the nation when he opened the first Indycube space in Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff, eight years ago, he only ever intended to nurture the organisation on home soil.

This changed with the introduction of Indycube Wakefield, the first coworking space to open across the border in England. Unlike our train lines, (proposed rail electrification links between Swansea and London were controversially scrapped last Summer), Indycube is fostering better links between Wales and London, having also opened a coworking space in Finsbury Park last year.

Indycube’s space in Walthamstow is situated in an old cooperative bank, a light building on the high street surrounded by local delis, cafes and other independent businesses. The opening of IC Walthamstow is particularly poignant, with anchor associate Hilary Powell of Optimistic Productions opting to rebrand as ‘The Bank,’ in homage to the building’s history.

Along with her husband and business partner Dan, Hilary transformed the space into a niche coworking environment equipped with old bank desks, vintage lamps and retro photos featuring the Cooperative Bank as it originally was years ago. In March, the pair undertook a project they called ‘Hoe Street Central Bank’, an exciting experiment in community economic education. HSCB aimed to be at the forefront of citizen money creation.

Indycube is all about working together rather than separately, establishing worthwhile connections and building community, be it in a rural Welsh village, Cardiff Central or London.

Back in March, local people of all ages and backgrounds worked with artist and anchor tenant Hilary Powell, printmaker Spike Gascoigne and designer Phil Seddon to print £50,000 worth of Bank Job currency in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 in just fourteen days. In place of the Queen, leaders of the local food bank, homeless kitchen, youth project and primary school grace HSCB banknotes.

We can’t wait to develop more projects with the local community and welcome even more people into our creative communities across England and Wales.

Indycube is all about working together rather than separately, establishing worthwhile connections and building community, be it in a rural Welsh village, Cardiff Central or London.

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Mari Dunning is Head of Communications for Indycube. In her spare time, she is a writer, blogger, and published poet. You can find out more about Indycube’s activities and how to work from Indycube’s many locations in the UK by visiting the Indycube Website.