South Yorkshire MCA award S1 £1 million

11 April 2025

South Yorkshire MCA awards £1 million towards the development of our new city centre site.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has announced it has committed more than £1 million in additional funding towards the development of S1 Artspace’s new building.

The move, part of SYMCA’s continued investment in South Yorkshire’s cultural industry, is to support improvements to S1 Artspace’s Grade II listed premises in Sheffield city centre, to gradually, bring it back into full public use. This follows a grant of £50,000 in 2024 to develop the projects business case.

In addition, S1 Artspace (S1) has been awarded a further £10,000 Project Viability Grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to support the development of the site. This grant will enable S1 to further refine and test its long-term vision for the site, and ensure that the building’s unique architectural and historical features are preserved and celebrated.

Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, commented: “From the Arctic Monkeys to Self Esteem, from the Crucible to Warp Films, from Doncaster’s Danum to Barnsley’s Cooper galleries, Joe Scarborough to Peachzz…  South Yorkshire’s cultural and creative talent punches above its weight.

“But for a long time we haven’t had the infrastructure to support our creative talent. Now, not only will the S1 Artspace hub provide this much-needed focal point for our cultural industries, it will make an invaluable contribution to our heritage by supporting the wider transformation of Sheffield’s Castlegate area into a vibrant destination for visitors and local people.”

This latest investment follows the commencement of essential repair works on the building by heritage specialists, Pinnacle Conservation. These works, which began in January 2025, focused on securing the structural integrity of the site, addressing water ingress, and removing outdated interior alterations.

Louise Hutchinson, Director of S1 Artspace, said: “This additional funding is an important step towards realising our long-term vision for S1 Artspace. The support from SYMCA and the Architectural Heritage Fund demonstrates the confidence in our plan and the importance of cultural investment in the region. We are incredibly grateful for their support, which is helping us make progress towards reopening this remarkable building and establishing a dynamic and accessible cultural venue for Sheffield and beyond.”

S1’s development forms part of a broader city centre strategy to revitalise Castlegate, an area rich in heritage and cultural significance. The project will complement the regeneration of the Castle site, forthcoming Harmony Works venue, and other initiatives aimed at strengthening Sheffield’s cultural infrastructure.

Further details on the next stages of the project, including public consultation events, will be announced in the coming months.