A former bakery in Teignmouth is to reopen as a ‘makery’ providing a space for community art workshops.

The premises on Northumberland Place, which was until last month occupied by the Shaldon Bakery, will house Teignmouth Arts Action Group (TAAG) community workshops.

Just three doors down from TAAG headquarters, the Makery is due to open on Tuesday (May 27). It will enable TAAG to grow its outreach programmes and build closer links with the public reflecting the group’s vision of nurturing creativity, inclusion and community through art.

‘The Makery will demonstrate that there are no barriers. People can just come in,’ said Sam Lock, who runs many of TAAG’s community projects. ‘This will bring the community work that TAAG does back to eye-level. There will be a real open-door policy. We want people to wonder what’s going on and to come in and have a go and join in.’

The Makery will host TAAG’s:

- Make It Thursday (MIT) Carers’ Group, which offers carers and those at risk of isolation a creative social space;

- Saturday Afternoon Art and Community Group, which caters for the huge demand for the mindful, creative community connection provided by the Teignmouth In Mind and Environment (TIME) programme;

- Recycled Art Workshops with Teignmouth Recycled Art In the Landscape (TRAIL). These free drop-in sessions in the school holidays enable visitors and locals to create eco-friendly art and explore ways to reduce environmental impact;

- Lantern Making Workshops where people can create lanterns for the annual parade at the Teignmouth Christmas Lantern Parade;

- Christmas Craft Day where families spend time together to craft and celebrate creativity during the holiday season;

- Community Art Outreach projects including the development of public art installations, creative clean ups of shared spaces, school workshops and Art on the Move, which is a programme that brings arts and crafts to community events.

The Makery will also serve as a shared resource centre and scrapstore.

Sam also has plans for new community projects such as a group for teenagers and parents to bond through art creation.

The Makery has been made possible thanks to a generous donation by an anonymous benefactor, which will support all of TAAG’s community projects for the coming year.

‘This is my absolute dream,’ commented Sam. ‘We now have the funding to keep everything going and the space to fully extend the projects I want to do,’ she added. ‘This gift will breathe life into a wide range of creative, inclusive initiatives that bring people together and make art accessible to all.’

TAAG expects The Makery to be open for around a year while it works on developing the large workshop in its headquarters in the heart of Teignmouth’s Arts Quarter.

The group has been refurbishing its building since it was purchased from Teignbridge District Council in 2020. The gallery and ground floor workshop were completed in 2023 and work on the roof was completed in March 2024. TAAG is now focusing on the construction of a large community workshop and artist studio upstairs.

‘With heartfelt thanks to our anonymous donor, we look forward to a vibrant year ahead full of shared creativity, connection and meaningful community impact,’ Sam enthused.