Inside Hitchin’s free Shop Small Studios creative hub

Shop Small Studios’ permanent creative hub opened in Hitchin on Monday, 17 August 2026, with public access listed from 10am to 4pm. Entry is free, and the venue at 16/17 Market Place in the Churchgate Shopping Centre is open to anyone interested in locally made gifts, art, design and creative workshops.

The new high-street base brings more than 20 local creatives into one previously unused unit next to Etcetera. Its front retail area leads into working studios, a central workshop table and an exhibition space at the back, allowing visitors to see more than a conventional shop display.

Local makers gain a permanent high-street base

Shop Small Studios follows the Shop Small Pop Up markets held at Hitchin Town Hall and the Christmas pop-up shops on Churchyard Walk. Those temporary events have operated in Hitchin since 2022; the Market Place venue gives the project a permanent home.

Resident creatives include Cathy Smale, The Celestial Archive, Kim Raymont, Make Your Own Happy, Rebecca Morgan Garden Design, Squorn-artist and Studio SideFX. Other businesses will share the retail area, with new names expected to be added each month.

Founder and creative director Jemma Larkin said the hub was intended to provide a home for Hitchin’s wider creative community. Makers and designers can sell from the front of the premises, while the open studios give visitors a view of artists and designers at work.

For participating businesses, the shared setting offers a way to display and sell products without each trader taking on a separate shop lease. North Herts Council has welcomed the use of the vacant unit and its role in giving independent traders a visible town-centre presence.

Gifts, working studios and workshops under one roof

The shop stocks candles, jewellery, stationery, toys, children’s clothing, furniture, puzzles, homeware and art. It also carries Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a specialist furniture paint.

Beyond shopping, visitors can explore the exhibition area and the open studios. A central table will be used for creative workshops, although the source notice does not provide a programme, dates or separate booking arrangements for those sessions.

This mix means the space may appeal to people looking for locally produced gifts, those curious about how artists work, and residents interested in future exhibitions or practical creative sessions. Visitors can browse without paying an admission charge.

Opening hours after the launch

The regular schedule lists Shop Small Studios as closed on Mondays. It is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Thursday, from 10am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday.

No accessibility or transport information is included in the announcement. The confirmed location is 16/17 Market Place, next to Etcetera within the Churchgate Shopping Centre. Updates about participating makers and future activities are available through Shop Small Studios’ Instagram and Facebook accounts and its official website.

Source: North Herts Council News