Fazeley Studios

Fazeley Studios is best described as a work space for those creative types and I mean REALLY creative. Digital & creative businesses in Birmingham occupy forty-five studio office spaces, delivering a digital and creative way of working through young media companies.

As soon as you walk through the very large, church style, light-blue wooden doors you're transferred into another world, a world where thinking outside of the box is the only way people around here think.

I spent two days with one of the resident businesses, Media-Dog. A small television production company run by Mark and his business partner Rob. We were editing a three-minute promotional video for a bid to bring local television to Birmingham. The space gave me an excellent environment in which to think creatively, being surrounded by creative brains working on their latest internet sensation or television production process seemed to rub off.

The offices which are flooded with natural daylight, boast comprehensive facilities and the latest technology with high-speed internet as you'd expect from a business studio.

Fazeley Studios is based a stones throw from the city centre and has become the hub of the burgeoning creative quarter known as Digbeth. Public funding has helped to keep rents low which allow the revolution in entrepreneurial digital and creative enterprise to flourish. Media-Dog is one such company which, from a fledgling, has grown a sturdy pair of legs to become one of Birmingham's finest television production houses.

When I first walked in to Fazeley Studios for the first time I was completely taken back by the gorgeous characteristics inside the building. From the outside, the building looks a bit shabby and is situated in the not very appealing back streets of down town Digbeth. Surrounded by warehouses and a number of derelict buildings, I didn't really expect much beforehand.

However, as soon as you walk in you enter a huge room with ridiculously high ceilings. This is the reception area and hosts a number of comfy sofas for you to enjoy whilst you wait.

I went to view a PR company who are based there (there are lots of creative industry companies living in this development). Their office was a good size on the top floor which also had a high ceiling and attick style pointed room with a skyline window.

Each person who I saw on my walk to and from the office made the effort to smile and say hello. If I was looking for a new office I would definitely check this place out as it seems like a great place to work, only minutes from the city centre.

Fazeley Studios is a pretty good bet if you're looking for somewhere to grab lunch in Digbeth. There's a cafe section at the back of the main building called 'Fazeley Social', where you can grab a hot drink (or a beer if you're having a boozy one) and some tasty food for pretty cheap prices.

The regular menu includes such iconic British dishes as fish finger sarnies and fish and chips, as well as the ever-popular baked potatoes, soups and so on. The baked potato with chili con carne, cheese and sour cream is a particular favourite of mine. You get loads of it and it's really tasty.

It's worth paying a visit to Fazeley Studios just for a look around as it occupies a really impressive Victorian red brick building that has been really nicely modernised. The Studios is home to a number of different companies (like its larger sibling the Custard Factory) and is a favourite venue for conferences in the area. They even host weddings.

I attended a party on a stormy dark Saturday night and was blown away by this place! The stunning brilliant white chapel room as you enter is beautiful and spacious. Comfy furniture greets you before you move to a courtyard area which made an excellent dance floor and to the left a well groomed bar area with intimidate booths. The bar prices were a touch expensive but you can see where the money goes. Staff were friendly and helpful and we partied into the early hours! Great venue!

Fazeley Studios is an exceptionally beautiful space and offers fantastic office premises to businesses in the region. I'd describe it as the hub of the city's creative industry. Of course Custard Factory is the largest hub for creative business and independent retailers, but what Fazeley offers is the perfect setting for those businesses who are slightly more established.

When you walk into the venue, the first thing you'll notice is the church style glass windows and the extremely large ceilings. Then you'll realise that the main foyer area is huge. There are just a few bits of furniture in the space which means you have lots of space to walk around in.

There is also a bar/restaurant area on the ground floor which is nicely decorated and provides nice food and drinks.
One of my favourite features is the gated garden area which separates the offices from the main foyer, event rooms and the bar area. It's an added bonus and presents an excellent feature; especially for those holding an event at Fazeley.