Trouble at Mill. New exhibition by Manchester’s Mill Co.

We’ll be upfront. We heartily approve of creative, entrepreneurial endeavour here at Creative Tourist. So when Mill Co. got in touch about their new exhibition, we decided it only right to give this new creative co-operative a little digital oxygen.

With a nod towards the Co-operative Movement, which as we all know (ahem) has its roots here in the Northwest, Mill Co. brings a bunch of talented freelance writers, artists, photographers and designers together under one virtual roof and then pitches for creative projects that best employ its members’ talent. It’s a commercial enterprise (clients come to Mill Co. for anything from branding projects to copywriting), but it’s a laudable one, too, as it supports Manchester’s creative community without, you know, completely ripping it off. As for members of the community, they include legendary snapper Kevin Cummins, filmmaker Colin O’Toole, artist Suzie Webb and illustrators such as Si Scott and Daren Newman.

The big news for Mill Co. this month is their members’ exhibition, which runs at Daltson’s Russian Club Studios until Wednesday. Showing a selection of work that ranges from photography to typography, everything on show is for sale. What’s perhaps most encouraging, and does indeed show that Mill Co. means what it says when it comes to working for the common good, is the fact that all proceeds from this inaugural exhibition will go to charity. So there we have it: creative commerce with a conscience. Only in Manchester… oh yes, and in London, too.

Mill Co. Annual Exhibition, The Russian Club Studios. Until 19 May. Free entry.

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