There’s something pretty exciting happening in the centre of Newport. News OnTheWight caught up with those who are making it happen for an inspiring and enlightening discussion.
After sitting empty for two years, the former Top Shop building in St James’s Square, Newport, has been brought back to life – providing a stunning home for Platform One’s brand new Sustainable Fashion degree course.
The building, which had previously been the base for Wadham and Sons for nearly 130 years, has been privately bought and transformed into a new learning hub and public space.
An inspiring and enlightening discussion
We’re at the beginning of what looks like really exciting journey – for Platform One; the building; young Island creatives and quite possibly the rebirth of Newport town centre as a vibrant centre.
Hannah Woodford is Head of Sustainable Fashion, David Pontin the Education Director at Platform One and Sarah Chatwin, a Director at ERMC — an Isle of Wight company that specialises in quantity surveying, architecture, project management, estate and land management and Net Zero building solutions (Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter as a feature focused on Sarah’s involvement will follow).
For those who want to dive straight in, you can listen to the podcast at the bottom of the article.
Where did it all begin?
So, how did this all get going? Dave gave us some background to how it all came about,
“Platform One is 23 years old, and we’ve always had an aspiration to widen our curriculum offer both at post-16 and higher education. We work really closely with the University of Chichester.
“Predominantly, we’ve always been music. We met up with Hannah and there was an opportunity to really look at an extremely forward-facing, completely brand new degree programme.”
Although Hannah had been in discussions with Platform One (P1) for a couple of years and the concept had been developed for over a year, Dave challenged her, giving her a couple of weeks to structure the course. Despite the tight deadline, she achieved it and there are students already working hard within the P1 Wadhams building today.
Transformed within one year
The building was purchased in the Summer of 2022 with the sole purpose of developing it for Platform One. Just over a year later the building work to transform the former retail unit was complete and students began occupying it at the start of this academic year (September 2023).
Dave explained how the two ideas aligned to result in P1 being in the building.
“We were talking about the potential of developing into the wider creatives industries. We knew this building was on the market, we had discussed that with Sarah. And actually, the two things, although they were very separate, kind of aligned pretty much simultaneously.
“It was really evident when when you first walked into this building that it had this immense creative energy, and right in the heart for Newport. For Platform One, that kind of regeneration of the town is super, super important.
“I’ve sat outside the building and seeing young people walk out of this building with smiles on their faces. Out into the town. Spending money in the town. Coming into what is right in the heart of Newport. And it’s a very different educational space. It’s phenomenal! It’s like working in the industry.”
One of the first Sustainable Fashion degrees in the country
Although there are several Masters courses in Sustainable Fashion around the country, the degree course being run from Platform One is one of the first in the country.
The aim is to prepare the students for the world of work as much as possible, and it does feel as though everything has been set up for that to be achieved here.
Hannah said,
“It’s the best that you can get in terms of being close to what it’s like in a real design studio. One of our technicians did some work for Victoria Beckham, and she said the other day, ‘It’s like being in Victoria Beckham’s studio’.
“I think that’s what we really wanted it to be like. Not for it to feel like it’s an education space, but it is actually aligned with the industry and what’s happening in the industry as well.”
Woodford: The students know how lucky they are
Hannah explained that since Covid, you don’t have to be in Central London anymore to be a designer, you can be anywhere in the world – so the potential for Islanders to be running their own fashion businesses from the Isle of Wight is real. She recalled how the first time walking around the building cemented her desire to make this happen,
“If it hadn’t been this building, it would have been a different sort of consideration, but the building is the most amazing space be in. And it’s so exciting. The students know how lucky they are. I think we all do. But it’s really unique and amazing as well for the Isle of Wight.
“It’s something that’s I’m really passionate about, making sure that people want to stay on the Isle of Wight. For people to want to stay here and create businesses here, not go off to the Mainland, necessarily, unless they want that experience. Or to come back here and make it better here and have talented creative people that actually want to stay on the Isle of Wight and make businesses here, so we are putting it on the map.”
Economically sustainable too
Hannah has included the importance of innovation and enterprise into the programme. There’s a massive element of it that is just about paving your way into what is a competitive industry. Dave added,
“The sustainability thing is massive to us.”
Pontin: A legacy for young people on the Island
The building is made up of four floors, but two of those weren’t even used when it was Top Shop. In fact the top floor, which is now a clean, bright working area was then a derelict space.
It seems clear that had Sarah and her family’s commitment to making the project a reality not been there, the building could easily have been taken over by a chain, with the top two floors probably still sitting empty gathering dust.
Dave expressed his gratitude to Sarah and her team for what they’ve created,
“So it’s actually the vision from Sarah and her team and how that connects with Platform One, and the creative work platform and the opportunity to be able to grow the higher education offer on the Island, and have something that’s super unique to the Island.
“And actually, apart from the fact that they’ll become graduates, the building speaks for itself. And it’s that theirs. It’s part of who they will be. And the building and the vision from Sarah and her team to actually realise how fundamental this is in terms of regeneration, education, but also the legacy for young people on the Island. This does not exist anywhere else in the UK.”
Pontin: We have an aspiration to grow
Platform One have music degree students from all over the UK and Europe, and although the Sustainable Fashion course is currently made up of Island residents, one Mainland student has already chosen the course for next year. Dave added,
“It’s really, really important for young people, post-16, FE, sixth form, that there are opportunities to start to study really bespoke, meaningful, local needs, higher education that’s really, really important. And we’re able to do that now, both in commercial music and both in sustainable fashion. And we have an aspiration to grow that as we move forward. “
Listen to the podcast to hear more about Platform One’s new Sustainable Fashion course, the Commercial Music Degree and how it collaborates with other Island businesses, as well as the future plans for the building. And look out for a follow-up podcast with Sarah Chatwin.
