Understanding the impact of ‘meanwhile’ spaces on the ecology of artists’ studios in Scotland

Meanwhile use - or the temporary use of urban space - is increasingly popular around the world. For artists and creative practitioners it can mean access to space at low cost or even for free. Yet, by its very nature, meanwhile use is precarious.  

This new project, commissioned by Creative Scotland, aims to start a conversation about meanwhile use. We're asking artists, creative practitioners, meanwhile providers and local authorities across Scotland what they know about meanwhile use, what is working, and where the key challenges and barriers are. We want to know how meanwhile use is changing the ecology of studio and workspace provision, and what impact it is having upon creative practice.

To do this, we're holding five workshops, conducting a survey with Local Authorities, as well as site visits and interviews with key providers and others. You can find out more by looking at our 'news and events' tab. We're also hoping to get some online materials ready very soon so that you can tell us about your experiences.

Who is running the project?

The project is funded by Creative Scotland and led by a team of researchers from Newcastle University, including Dr Emma Coffield, Dr Paul Richter, Katee Woods and Gareth McMurchy. You can find out more about us by checking out the 'meet the team' tab.

How long is the project?

As an initial scoping review - not long! We started in February 2026 and will send a final report to Creative Scotland in June 2026. While this is pretty fast, we're hoping that means the final report will be responsive to current activities, debates and discussions - and will prompt more detailed discussion.

What will the project result in?

The project will result in a final report, published by Creative Scotland later this year. In this report, we'll try and articulate how meanwhile provision is currently understood, what impact it is having, and make a series of key policy recommendations. We're also going to put together a database of meanwhile sites so that we can produce some initial 'maps' of activity. Once the report is published, we'll upload a PDF copy to this website for everyone to download.

How can I get involved?

If you're an artist, arts worker or creative practitioner, please do check out our news/events tab to see if you can come along to a workshop near you. While the workshops are held in places with a high concentration of meanwhile use, we're very aware that they won't be accesible for everyone. So, we're running an online workshop and are working on online materials too - so that you can have your say at any point in the project that suits you.

If you work in for a local authority - please look in the news/events tab for a link to our survey, which has now launched. Feel free to share this with colleagues too, as we're keen to hear from as many people as possible.

If you would like to be involved but don't think either of these approches fits your work - get in touch with us! You can find our contact information via the 'contact' tab above.