Krowji open studios event for fire anniversary

Seventeen studios were destroyed and many more damaged in the fire in Redruth

One year on from a fire which wrecked an artists' working hub, the centre is holding an open studios event to celebrate its comeback.

Seventeen resident artists, designers and makers at Krowji, Cornwall, lost all their stock and equipment in the fire in May 2021.

Some said the community support since had been "brilliant", with a fund of £50,000 raised and many items donated from the public.

The building reopened in November 2021.

The fire destroyed many pieces of work

The event will be a chance to meet makers and for them to showcase how they have rebuilt their businesses, organisers said.

Fiona Wotton, chief executive of Creative Kernow, said: "I think that has been perhaps a positive thing to come out of the fire.

"We've had a lot of interest - people really caring about the artists' community.

"We had a crowdfunder that raised significant funds, £50,000 to support artists who'd lost their livelihoods.

"It is a private workspace but there are lots of things that happen that are open to the public.

"There are ways for people to come and experience Krowji even if they're not renting a space here and we want to do more about that in the future as well."

Fiona Wotton, chief executive of Creative Kernow said it was a chance to talk to 50 artists

Sinead O'Connor, a Krowji-based jeweller, said: "Everybody who was in there lost everything.

"I lost all my tools, all my jewellery, all my stock, everything.

"When they saw what happened lots of people came forward and gave us my desk, the sideboards, some of the tools... The community just stepped up and was brilliant.

"Some of the other bits and pieces was bought from the fundraising money we got - it's been absolutely fantastic."

The open studios event runs from 28 May to 5 June.