Clyde St Arts - Newcastle's Hidden Creative Hub
- intouch Magazine
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: May 1
Who knew that nestled in a quiet corner of Hamilton North sits Newcastle's largest collective of artists, producers, creative manufacturers and social innovators?
Home to beloved names such as The Creator Incubator, Upcycle, Featheredge, OzHarvest and more, Clyde St Arts is an impressive 25,000m² collaborative makerspace steeped in Novocastrian history. Here, a genuine sense of community thrives among the creators driving the city's vibrant arts scene.
Clyde St Arts was originally purchased in 1937 by the Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society Ltd, known locally as "The Store." It became the most successful co-operative society in the southern hemisphere, housing Australia's largest bakery and stable of Clydesdale horses, with furniture and grocery departments alongside community welfare and entertainment programs. The Store operated until closing its doors in 1987. The Clyde St renaissance began some 30
years later, when pioneering artists including Doug Heslop, Marc Adam, Bill Reid, James Drinkwater, and Lottie Consalvo brought their creative practices to the vacant warehouse spaces.
In 2017, the precinct project officially launched with the organic co-location of artists and creative practitioners. Today, the innovative repurposing of 36 industrial sheds and warehouse spaces houses 30 diverse enterprises, providing a supportive community for over 100 people working in creative industries.
The revitalisation of Clyde St Arts over the past seven years is the result of collaborative efforts by precinct co-founders
David Saddington, Michele Oshan, and Braddon Snape. Their vision of developing a flourishing, creatively diverse community has resulted in a non-traditional urban creative economy, breathing new life into industrial sites with unique historic connections to Newcastle and the Hunter region.
The Clyde St Arts collective has evolved into a dynamic, creative and cultural precinct, growing with each new artist joining its ranks and sharing their practice through regular workshops and markets.
“This month, The Creator Incubator is celebrating 8 years and it's great to see it growing to a collective of 42 artists," says Braddon Snape co-founder, “and we see the entire precinct being recognised now as the culturally important site that it has become.”
Throughout the year, Clyde St Arts hosts a dynamic calendar of events that draw visitors from across the region. From seasonal markets showcasing local artisans to immersive open studio weekends, interactive workshops, and collaborative exhibitions, there's always something happening within these creative walls.
“What makes Clyde St special is how the creative energy of the space transforms both the artists and the community that engages with it," says Katerina Skoumbas, Precinct Coordinator and Festival Director of The Big Picture Fest.
“We're not just preserving Newcastle's industrial heritage — we're reimagining it through open collaborative creativity. I’ve loved adding public art to that.”
Another of the precinct's unique attractions is the collection of colourful murals adorning its walls. Completed in January, Ode to Time by Brontë Naylor is an extraordinary large-scale mural created through the longstanding relationship between The Big Picture Fest, Naylor, and Clyde St Arts. Funded with generous support from precinct owner David Saddington and The Big Picture Fest, the mural is located on the main sheds in the western laneway.
"An Ode to Time is a testament to our shared existence under the sun, embracing the inevitability of time," says artist Brontë Naylor.
"Through bold monochromatic fields, this piece celebrates temperance, longevity and reflection, empowering the precinct's present structures and community to step fully into their potential while honouring their timeless connection to place."
Which is really what the Clyde St precinct is all about! For more information about the precinct and upcoming events, visit
