Shop Small Studios opens free creative hub in Hitchin
Shop Small Studios’ permanent creative hub opens to the public in Hitchin on Monday, 17 August 2026. The opening listing gives a time of 10am to 4pm and free entry at 16/17 Market Place, next to Etcetera in the Churchgate Shopping Centre.
The creative hub opening brings retail displays, working studios, exhibitions and creative workshops into one previously unused town-centre unit. More than 20 local creatives can have a presence there, making it relevant to shoppers looking for locally produced goods as well as visitors interested in seeing artists and designers at work.
Local makers move into a permanent town-centre space
Shop Small Studios follows the Shop Small Pop Up markets held at Hitchin Town Hall and the Christmas pop-up shops previously run on Churchyard Walk. Those temporary events have now led to a permanent base in the centre of Hitchin.
Read also: Free ‘Connecting Collections’ opens in Hitchin on 18 August
The named resident creatives are Cathy Smale, The Celestial Archive, Kim Raymont, Make Your Own Happy, Rebecca Morgan Garden Design, Squorn-artist and Studio SideFX. Further businesses are expected to be added to the shop each month.
Founder and creative director Jemma Larkin said the hub builds on pop-up markets and shops run in Hitchin since 2022. She described the permanent venue as a place where the area’s creative community can sell, work and present its output under one roof.
North Herts Council has welcomed the opening as a way for independent traders to display products without taking on an individual shop lease. Councillor Tamsin Thomas, the council’s executive member for enterprise, said the permanent home would support local traders while adding choice to the town centre.
Gifts, open studios and workshops under one roof
The front of the venue is devoted to retail, with products including candles, jewellery, stationery, toys, children’s clothing, furniture, puzzles, homeware and art. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a specialist furniture paint, is also among the listed goods.
Beyond the shop area, visitors can enter open studios where designers and artists work. An exhibition area sits at the back, while a central table provides space for creative workshops. No individual exhibition dates, workshop timetable or booking arrangements have been published in the supplied details, so visitors interested in a particular session should check Shop Small Studios’ website or its Instagram and Facebook accounts before travelling.
The layout means a visit does not depend on attending a scheduled class: members of the public can browse the retail area and see the permanent studios during opening hours.
Check the weekly hours before visiting
The published regular schedule lists Shop Small Studios as closed on Mondays. It opens from 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Thursday, 10am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
That ongoing timetable differs from the opening brief, which lists Monday, 17 August from 10am to 4pm. Anyone planning to attend specifically on the opening date should confirm the day’s access through the organiser’s website or social channels. The venue is at 16/17 Market Place, beside Etcetera within Hitchin’s Churchgate Shopping Centre.
Source: North Herts Council News
Context & actions About this article
Source check Source trail
The venue, opening information, regular hours and named resident creatives were checked against the North Herts Council notice.
- Checked the address against the location stated in the council notice.
- Compared the opening listing with the separately published weekly schedule.
- Retained only the makers, products and activities named by the source.
- Marked workshop and booking details as unavailable where they were not supplied.
- Source
- North Herts Council News
- Scope
- Hitchin
- Updated
- 2026-08-17 16:26
Source check
Report a trust issue
Send a clear signal to community moderation if the source, facts or context need review.
Comments