The project will see Broxton take over the right-hand side of the Victorian mill complex, expanding from her existing studio into a larger space for production, teaching and independent makers. The building is located around a two-minute walk from Walsall Leather Museum. Read more about the timeline to success of the museum here.
Plans include a contemporary leather school, expanded professional production facilities, communal workshop hire, affordable maker studios and exhibition and event space. Teaching will focus on contemporary leatherwork for fashion, accessories and fine leatherworking, with potential to extend into areas such as interiors.
The downstairs area is planned to include five affordable leather studios and exhibition space, while four original horse stables are set to become early-access spaces for graduates and emerging makers. Moreover, Mark Fullerton, a trained luthier who makes bespoke electric guitars and furniture, will continue as a resident and may expand his own training and educational activities.
Broxton said the project is intended to strengthen Walsall’s historic leather ecosystem and provide practical opportunities for people to learn and develop leatherworking skills, access professional facilities and establish careers and businesses within the sector. The venture is independent of Walsall Leather Museum but is intended to play a complementary role.
Crowdfunding
The £30,000 (US$39,714) crowdfunding target will fund specialist machinery and tools (US$18,525), workbenches and workshop infrastructure (US$5,293), three months of set-up and building costs (US$6,880), teaching space, storage, PPE and initial materials (US$6,616), as well as legal, repair and contingency costs (US$2,381).
The campaign is intended to provide the infrastructure needed to begin trading rather than an ongoing subsidy. Future income will come from Broxton’s existing leather business, studio rental, courses and workshops, and a communal professional workshop and membership offer. The project is expected to undergo around three months of renovation from November, with an official launch planned for early 2027.
Broxton, who has worked in leather for 15 years and run her own leather fashion design business for five years, said: “Walsall has an extraordinary history in leather, and it’s always been my ambition to create a place like this in the town to sit alongside my own brand – a place where skills can be passed on, where people can learn, where new makers can establish themselves and where contemporary leatherwork can thrive.”
The six-week crowdfunding campaign launched on September 21, 2026. Learn more and get involved: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-build-a-new-chapter-for-leather-in-walsall
