A NEW town centre base has been found for a public arts group whose current home is due to be demolished next year.

Slack Space, set up in 2009 with the aim of reinvigorating empty shops and buildings in Colchester town centre, has attracted more than 20,000 visitors since it moved into its First home, the former Rosebys store, in Long Wyre Street.

Now the group has been told it will have to move out of its current base, the former Keddies store, in Queen Street, next spring.

The building will then be demolished to make way for a 97-bed hotel as part of the Cultural Quarter regeneration project kickstarted by the opening of Firstsite last month.

But this week Slack Space will collect the keys to a new base – a three-storey building in Victoria Place, off Eld Lane, which was occupied by the East of England Co-operative Society until 2009.

Abby Cheverst, from Slack Space, said it had stayed at the former Keddies for much longer than expected, having originally been allowed to use it for six months in late 2009.

She said it was looking forward to moving into the former office space, which was a little smaller than the cavernous Queen Street shop but had a greater variety of spaces for art galleries, workshops, music performances and other activities.

She added: “We love the Keddies building and we love what we can do with it, and it’s a very creative and vibrant space.

“It’s incredibly central, but no-one has heard of it, so it’s quite a little mystery.

“I think we’ll be able to run more workshops and offer different spaces and different events. We could have a permanent music studio, so musicians can come in and rehearse.”

Nick Denny, property & estates controller for the Co-op, said: “When we heard that Slack Space was looking for space in the town centre we wanted to help. We have an agreement in place for the letting of the offices at Victoria Place, and are pleased to be helping this community organisation.”