How we've helped Fish Factory Arts

A multifunction arts venue positioned across two sites in Penryn, The Fish Factory is a lot of things to a lot of people. An artist’s workspace with studios on site, a café, a gallery and event space, their premises and activities both continue to grow.  

The Fish Factory largely operated without have any funding for its first seven years, operating solely on trading income, but when the pandemic commenced, they received emergency funding from the Arts Council of England. That funding has sparked a degree of change within The Fish Factory, as they seek new opportunities for their expanding team moving forward.  

Just as the Community Interest Company is in a state of change, its Founder and Director, Rose Hatcher, is experiencing the same having just had a baby. Wanting to step back from a full-time workload with Fish Factory, Rose believes that skills development for the remainder of her team will be key to making this change work.  

“Because it was all very grassroots and more of a DIY space originally, most people coming on board do know what they are getting in to, as this is something we certainly celebrate. But skills development and improving our systems and processes are certainly things that have been more on my mind of late,” she said.  

With their team made up of part-time staff, working at different times and on different days, Rose sees this as being a sticking point in terms of team cohesion. With training and skills development now on everyone’s agenda, this is certainly going to help getting their entire team in union as they continue to grow.  

“The training we’ve done so far will help in getting everyone on the same page, seeing them equipped with the skills they need to do their job. Everyone can grow together, and learn together, and make things better,” she said.  

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub from October 2017 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project  received £2,885,993 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.