A GROUP of Freo artists are being forced to relocate after being given three months’ notice to move out by a developer. 

The Tiny House Collective, formerly known as the Swan’s Nest, sits on the corner of Amherst and Stack Streets in the former McCarthy’s Engineering shed. 

The Collective facilitated artists and creatives from around Fremantle, offering affordable spaces for painters, woodworkers, sculptors, welders, and boutique construction companies. 

However, the site was purchased by Subiaco-based developer Locus in 2021 and is set to be demolished and replaced by the Monument East development later this year. 

The Collective was given a three-month eviction notice in March, which gives them until end of June to find somewhere new. 

• The Tiny House Collective is in the old McCarthy’s Engineers shed on Stack Street, which is soon to be redeveloped for apartments.

Scrambling

According to some of Freo’s creatives, several of whom have called the Collective home, it wasn’t enough time. 

Artist Laura Folan, also known by her artist name Lora Flora, has previously used the Collective’s space for her paintings and says the group had known about development for “quite some time”, but that the three-month eviction notice has left some tenants “scrambling”. 

“There’s no similar spaces where there is such a mixture of people doing different things,” Ms Folan said. 

“We haven’t been able to find a warehouse suitable for all of us, so it’s like we’re breaking off into different directions.

“There’s a lot of spread space to do noisy or messy projects, and a lot of art studios are just completely not suitable for that.”

Ms Folan says she feels as if she’s “losing a support network” of fellow artists who aren’t being made to feel welcome in Freo anymore. 

“There’s very much a lack of affordable spaces for artists in Fremantle at the moment,” she said. 

“It really feels like the artists and creatives are being pushed further and further out. 

“Fremantle likes to think of itself as an artsy space that supports artists – I’m not seeing a huge amount of that at the moment.”

• Tiny House tenants say affordable space in Freo where they can mix with like-minded creatives is as rare as hen’s teeth.

Fremantle Industrial Arts Quarter secretary Gayle O’Leary says artists have been scrambling to find alternative spaces to facilitate their craft in a “hideously unaffordable” market. 

“The sad thing is a lot of small businesses and artists who were there before, have already moved out,” Ms O’Leary said. 

“Some of them have already shut down their businesses out of fear that they wouldn’t be able to find another space to relocate to. 

“Hopefully that won’t be permanent, but we just don’t know.” 

According to Ms O’Leary, Locus will be retaining the red brick buildings on Stack Street for commercial and creative use, but there is “no guarantee” they will remain affordable for Collective members to utilise. 

“One of the reasons why people are attracted to working [at the Collective] is because you’ve got some breathing space to pursue what you’re interested in,” Ms O’Leary said. 

Flexible

“These spaces are flexible, and even if they’ve only got a little bit of room, they make it work because they because they know each other, they work well together, and they can sort of accommodate each other’s each other’s needs.

“It’s not as formalised as a lot of the newer spaces.”

Ms O’Leary acknowledged the effort developer Locus had gone to consult the community about Monument East, which is part of the Knutsford East Local Structure Plan to create residential infill. 

“We all chipped in and told them what we value about this area and what our fears are and what we don’t want it to become,” she said. 

“That was good, that was open. 

“But what they didn’t talk about there is the impact that it’s having on people within those spaces and how they were how would they manage that.”

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER