Located at 30 Sadler Gate in the historic Cathedral Quarter, The Agora is set to become a focal point for the community. The funding has enabled the transformation of the vacant building into a multi-functional space. The upper floors will serve as a base for a leadership development business, offering facilities for professional meetings, training, and consultancy, catering to both UK and international clients.
The ground floor is designed to be a vibrant retail area, showcasing a curated selection of productivity and lifestyle items, including journals, notebooks, planners, and water bottles. Additionally, a studio space is available for customers to engage in hands-on creative activities such as designing and making their own journals and notebooks. High-quality papers sourced from Germany, Ukraine, and Japan will be featured. The space also includes co-working facilities and a 100-square-metre events area available for hire.
To mark its opening, The Agora will host a public open day on Saturday 10 October, running from 10am to 10pm. Attendees can explore the venue and participate in various activities, including upcycling, bookbinding, printing, and photography workshops, alongside a fashion show. A VIP reception is scheduled between 1pm and 3pm, featuring a special appearance by the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Jonathan Smale.
The Vacant to Vibrant initiative is part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund's efforts to stimulate business growth in Derby. This project aims to bring empty city centre units back into active use, following successful revitalisations of spaces like The Tannery, Craftcore, and Flo Skatepark.
“"The Agora offers something different for Derby, combining a business space and creative experiences with unique lifestyle products and journal-making within one building. Projects like this help to strengthen Derby city centre’s position as a vibrant city which provides the opportunities for businesses to expand, increase footfall, and create new opportunities for people to visit, work, and invest in."
“"The ground floor at 30 Sadler Gate is a huge space, and from the beginning we knew we didn't want simply to fill it with more offices. We want The Agora to be a building that can have different lives at different times of the day, and the Open Day is our first chance to demonstrate that."
The open day is free to attend, with visitors receiving a 10% discount on all showcase products and studio experiences purchased on the day.
