Dear Friends of the Fish

We’re sad to say that the last six months have been some of the most difficult in Fish History. Having survived the pandemic lockdowns thanks to various emergency grants, from the government & Arts Council, and generous donations from our community we emerged with a plan to get back to our self-sufficient independent and DIY ways. Unfortunately the world we emerged into has changed a lot and for many reasons we now find ourselves in quite a financial predicament.

Our last round of Arts Council funding ended in January 2022 and since then we have put on some world class events and continue to offer our support for local and international artists through our gallery space and residency programme. Various factors such as new venues opening during lockdown, the ongoing effects of Brexit and Covid on international travel and student activities, rising bills and our geographical location outside of Falmouth have made these much more challenging than pre-2020 leading to us now having to carefully consider how we operate in the future. 

The Fish Factory began in 2011 because of a need in our community for affordable workspace and opportunities to display artwork, test ideas and come together as a creative community. We know this space is still needed and are working out how we can change and grow with these key ideas in mind. However - in the short term we need your help to lift us out of this difficult situation.

While we are in the long process of writing applications for further funding we do value our independence and wish to remain open for the ad hoc, experimental and even controversial things that often wash up on our shores. Community fundraising is a way to keep that spirit alive.

School of Fish:This Spring we plan to bring back the School of Fish! School of Fish was born out of our emergence from lockdown and is focused on bringing people together, tackling social isolation, improving wellbeing and learning a diverse range of creative skills. Some of our rewards are offering places on some special workshops from various amazing creative people who are donating their time (including Freymo, Nina Fenner, Camilla Stacey, Fran Northcott, Kyra Norman) . You can also opt to subsidise a workshop place for somebody who can't afford it. 

Free food for our community: We are also fundraising for our community food events. We've been providing a free Christmas day meal for the last 4 years and now that the cost of living crisis is with us we are expanding this provision with free food events at least twice a month. We've had some help from Penryn and Cornwall council - but with your help we can do so much more! 

We are a not for profit community interest company (CIC) and put our commitment to the community at the forefront of everything we do. We continue to provide affordable studio, exhibition and event space to encourage and support local creators. 

We have always worked hard to be a safe, welcoming and accessible space for everyone and with support from you we can increase our provision and support even more people.

We would like this Crowdfunder to offer an invitation for you to get involved, bring your creative projects and join our community - viva la fish!