Manchester Craft and Design Centre
Working studios for artists and makers in a converted Victorian fish market. Buy ceramics, jewellery and prints direct from creators in the Northern Quarter.
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Manchester Craft and Design Centre is a converted Victorian fish market on Oak Street, now home to around thirty working studios where artists and makers produce and sell their work. You walk in, browse the open studios, watch people making things, and buy direct from the creator. No middleman, no gallery markup.
The range covers ceramics, jewellery, textiles, printmaking, illustration, glasswork and more. Each studio is different – some artists are happy to chat about their process, others are heads-down working. The quality is high throughout because studio spaces are allocated through application, not just rented to whoever can pay. What you find here is a genuine cross-section of Manchester’s making community.
The building itself is part of the appeal. The old market hall structure gives the space character – iron columns, high ceilings, the kind of building the Northern Quarter does well. There’s a cafe in the centre that serves decent coffee and lunch, and it’s become a neighbourhood fixture in its own right.
Entry is free – just walk in during opening hours. If you’re looking for gifts that aren’t mass-produced, this is the place. Prices vary by maker but you’re generally looking at affordable to mid-range for handmade work. Oak Street location puts you in the quieter end of the Northern Quarter, away from the bar crowds. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
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