Truly affordable space in Oxford is non-existent. In 2015, a small group of community-led and socially driven organisations, struggling to find the space in which to fix, build, work and make an impact came together to find innovative ways of bringing empty and underused buildings back into community use. Makespace Oxford Community Interest Company (CIC) was born, and is under the collaborative leadership of Transition by Design, Aspire Oxford and The Community Action Group (Oxfordshire).
Makespace Oxford's first building on Aristotle Lane, is a new and affordable working and making space for makers, artists and socially-conscious individuals and organisations in North Oxford. We offer a light-filled, modern work environment with meeting facilities, offering subsidised rents to social enterprises, charities and workers cooperatives working on social and environmental justice issues. We have also occupied other buildings to bring awareness to the homelessness issue in Oxford and bring the conversation back to include those it affects and work regularly with landlords and the university to refurbish unused or empty spaces and buildings and re-purpose them for community use.
