Meet Grace: Community and Engagement at the Ladder’s Work Room

At the Ladder in Redruth, people are at the heart of the building’s transformation. Among the builders, artists and organisers shaping the space is Grace Davies, Community and Engagement Coordinator. 

Grace has been part of the story for several years, supporting everything from heritage projects to live performances, and she will now be playing a central role in welcoming people into the Ladder’s new co-working space, the Work Room.

Behind the scenes with Grace

“My name is Grace Davies and I've been working with the Ladder for a few years now throughout many renovations,” she explains. “I'm the sort of venue and engagement officer. That’s sometimes programming. Even though we haven’t been technically open, we’ve still had performances and small projects. Most recently I've been the heritage activities coordinator as well, along with my colleague Ellie. We've been doing some smaller projects that engage people with heritage… I help with the systems, a little bit of programming, a tiny bit of social media, a bit of everything really.”

Alongside her work with the Ladder, Grace is also Venue and Programme Manager for The Writers’ Block, Cornwall’s Creative Writing Centre based inside the building. “We’ve got this lovely immersive space and we do workshops for all ages from small children to the elderly,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if you haven’t picked up a pen since you were in school or if you’re a professional writer, we’ve got something for everyone.”

Launching the Work Room co-working space

This autumn, Grace will help oversee the opening of the Work Room, the Ladder’s new co-working space.

“The Work Room will be our new co-working space,” she says. “It has 12 hot-desking spaces. It’s currently being renovated and will be open in October 2025. We’re looking for creative people that need a bit of community to work with.”

Membership is designed to be simple and affordable. “There are three separate tariffs, depending on whether you’re a charity, an artist, a CIC or a business,” Grace explains. “There’s a £30 membership fee each year, and from then it’s between £10 and £20 a day

Join us for brunch and a trial day

For anyone curious about the space, there’s a chance to experience it first-hand. “From 10.30am to 3.30pm on the 10th of October we’re going to be hosting a brunch,” Grace says. “That will give people a chance to test out the space, do a bit of a steering group, and let us know what you want from the space as well.” To book your place, email grace@riftexcursions.com. 

Grace and the team will be there to welcome you. “We’ve been using a dingy office in the basement for a while, so we’re super excited to use it too.” 

“One of us will always be on site throughout the week, and there are lots of other activities happening in the building such as wellness and theatre sessions, and of course the creative writing groups downstairs.”

Take your seat at the table

From heritage projects to creative writing workshops, Grace has been part of the Ladder’s journey since it first opened it’s doors. With the launch of the Work Room, she is ready to help freelancers, producers, artists and small organisations find a place to work, collaborate and create together in Redruth.

The Work Room opens in October 2025. Apply now to secure your desk and be part of Redruth’s growing creative community.