EMEN LLC is a historic and innovative creative space designed to attract and serve local, regional, and national photographers and videographers. Based in the Renaissance District, we are looking to celebrate the rich history of the Studebaker manufacturing plants while repurposing the industrial nature of the campus into a hub for visual creatives. Being visual creatives ourselves, we have struggled to find affordable studio space as well as industrial spaces to serve as a backdrop for photos and film. Speaking with other creatives in the area, we came to realize that this is a common problem for many of our peers. In our research, we have also discovered that studio space is a need regionally as well as nationally.
In many larger cities, the solution to this problem is renting out studio space on an hourly basis. This allows creatives an affordable option of booking and paying for a space for their projects when the need comes up without being locked into a long-term lease. Companies like Peerspace have made it easier for studio spaces to be listed and rented out on an hourly basis. However, a major issue we discovered is that no such listing exists for the South Bend region. Thus, our solution looks to provide the perfect marriage between newly renovated built-out studio and raw industrial spaces.
In Phase I, we will be setting up these unique studio spaces that will provide creatives an affordable option to rent out on an hourly basis. By doing so, we are also achieving the mission of putting the South Bend area on the map as being a viable option for the artist community near and far.
In future phases of the business, we look to offer workshops and training for creatives specifically on how to start and run their own businesses. Just as the Renaissance District is the perfect place for the reimagining of history and innovation, EMEN LLC looks to become the intersection where art and business meet and thrive.