Temple Bright acts for Jamaica Street Studios CIC in landmark deal for Bristol artistic community

24/09/2025

Law firm Temple Bright has assisted Jamaica Street Studios CIC with the acquisition of the historic Grade II listed 37-39 Jamaica Street in the heart of Bristol’s Stokes Croft area.

The architecturally significant building, a late 19^th century carriage works, has been home to an eclectic mix of talented and renowned artists for more than three decades. The upper floors house studios for over 35 artists operating in a broad range of disciplines, among them painters, sculptors, illustrators and photographers. The ground floor has been intentionally designed to be a creative events and exhibition space beneath the studios, known as “Kit Form”.

The artist-led CIC was given the opportunity to purchase the freehold of the building and set about an ambitious fundraising project, which included a £500,000 grant from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund, a crowdfunding scheme, a media campaign by recognised celebrity figures and loan from the Charity Bank.

The acquisition was completed just in time for the artists to mark the occasion with special celebration at their annual September open studios event.

Edward Thompson and Aaron Bennett made up the real estate team at Temple Bright, with specialist advice from Polly Reynolds (planning) and Alistair Hill (banking).

Rosie Bowery, studio manager at Jamaica Street Studios, said: “This is a great step forward for the creative life of Stokes Croft, giving autonomy to the flourishing community of artists that has grown up here over many decades. We are delighted to have completed the purchase of our Jamaica Street base through a CIC and with the wide base of support we have received, including from Government, the public, and some high profile individuals.

“It was a real pleasure working with the team at Temple Bright, who were approachable, practical and efficient at every stage in the process. Their scrupulous attention to tying up every detail of the legal deal has given us peace of mind and the freedom to continue focusing on what we do best – growing a hub of creativity to serve our city and the wider world.”

Aaron Bennett said: “Congratulations to Rosie and the artists at Jamaica Street Studios for this fantastic achievement. It was great to play a role and pull together the various players in this transaction, including funders and the Government legal team. We are delighted to have helped the artists secure the building and safeguard its status as a leading artistic workplace and venue in the Stokes Croft area. This was an interesting and enjoyable project to be involved in.”

Temple Bright was launched in Bristol in 2010 using a tech-enabled, streamlined business model. It opened its second office in London EC2 in 2013 and now has more than 75 partners, evenly spread across the two locations. The firm advises clients across a range of sectors, with significant expertise in real estate work.