A shop with a difference is popping up at Ipswich’s Tower Ramparts from Saturday.

Ipswich Star: The new artists pop up shop in Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre, Ipswich.The new artists pop up shop in Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre, Ipswich. (Image: Archant)

The centre is charging a peppercorn rent, Ipswich Borough Council has supplied some of the funding along with the Eastern Enterprise Hub which is also providing the training and I Make Fun Stuff is supplying the artistic know-how as part of the Ipswich Recreate project.

Ipswich Star: The new artists pop up shop in Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre, Ipswich.The new artists pop up shop in Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre, Ipswich. (Image: Archant)

Cathy Frost, from I Make Fun Stuff, said they have carefully selected products and artwork to fill the shop, ensuring they offer visitors a unique experience.

“We knew we would have a wealth of excellent products we could use to stock the shop from the amazing artists and designers who take stalls at the markets, it was just a matter of making the space how we envisioned.”

Bringing art and business together in one place, the shop will not only give small creative businesses exposure but also provides valuable retail experience through a volunteer programme. There will also be retail workshops offered in partnership with the Eastern Enterprise hub to support creative start-ups.

Chris Shutt, head of business incubation and innovations at the hub, said: “The pop-up shop is a boost to Ipswich’s retail offer and is a great place for local creatives to sell to local people.”

Councillor Carole Jones, economic development portfolio holder at IBC, added it is great to bring so many partners together to provide something different and exciting you won’t find in other shops, boosting the shopping centre and the town.

Tower Ramparts’ Mike Sorhaindo added it was great to be able to support a scheme that looks at stimulating the start-up of retail businesses and will help increase footfall in the area.

The shop is on the first floor next to Candy Gaga. It will be open from 1pm-4pm this Saturday then 10am-4pm, Monday-Saturday.

Visit www.imakefunstuff.co.uk for any time changes.

The EEHub’s Creative Entrepreneurs Programme starts in September, giving entrepreneurs the support they need to take their business to the next level. To get your place on the course, apply via our websitewww.eehub.co.uk or contact Amy Bramwell at amy@eehub.co.uk

The ReCreate project is part-financed by the European INTERREG IV A France (Channel) England Cross-border Cooperation Programme, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.