Cockpit Arts Information

Cockpit Arts is an award winning social enterprise and the UK’s only business incubator for craftspeople, housing up to 170 small businesses at our two centres in central and south London. We support craft practitioners at the start of their careers, as well as those who are more established, to grow and build successful and thriving businesses both in the UK and internationally. We work with a wide range of talented individuals, including master craftspeople, artist-makers, batch producers and more scalable businesses. Our business incubation services comprise workspace, on site business coaching and business support workshops, selling and promotional opportunities, as well as referral to specialist advisors and access to finance. We also work with hundreds of other craft businesses based in other parts of the UK and overseas through our training workshops and consultancy arm, as well as remotely via our online resources. Since opening in 1986, Cockpit Arts has helped thousands of talented makers grow their businesses, many of who have gone on to achieve national and international success. Our business incubator model is proven to work and our impact reports are positive, showing higher than average economic outcomes as well as social and cultural impact. As a Social Enterprise, our services and studio spaces are offered to designer-makers at affordable rates. Any profit made is reinvested to support those most in need. We offer special Awards and Bursaries to early stage craft businesses. Cockpit Arts also delivers a unique Creative Careers Programme to provide opportunities for young people referred by The Prince’s Trust. In addition, our Creative Employment Programme generates wider craft employment opportunities in the craft sector through our Traineeships and Apprenticeships Programme.