The Engine Room

Tucked away inside the grand Victorian ironwork of Southport’s Wayfarers Arcade, The Engine Room is a new kind of space — part co-working venue, part cultural hub, and part social experiment. It’s a creative engine, both literally and metaphorically, sparking new ideas and collaborations in a town that’s often overlooked in the national conversation.

Launched by CivED CIC and sociologist Dr. Eric Lybeck, The Engine Room is a response to the challenges faced by Southport and other coastal towns — economic stagnation, a lack of opportunities for young creatives, and an urgent need for community reimagining. Rather than waiting for top-down solutions, The Engine Room has taken over a former dance studio and turned it into a flexible, welcoming space for work, learning, and cultural exchange.

Inside, you’ll find desks, podcasting gear, art studios, and flexible areas for everything from meetings to markets. Membership is affordable, with drop-in access encouraged — but what really sets The Engine Room apart is its energy. It hosts everything from jazz gigs and art workshops to comedy nights, creative writing groups, and local history talks. The aim? To bring people together across generations and backgrounds, and to imagine new futures for the town.

Whether you’re a freelancer, an artist, an educator, or someone with a passion project and nowhere to put it, The Engine Room invites you in. It’s collaborative, it’s experimental, and it’s quietly rewriting the rulebook on how towns like Southport can evolve — from the ground up.