Closing the doors on our physical studio space in March last year, we all retreated to our homes, set up desks in corners, gradually improving them as it became apparent this was more than just a few weeks of working remotely.
We found new ways of connecting with each other, our collaborators and our clients.
We realised that we don’t need an office to be a team.
And that realisation has stuck with us.
Working with words, working with people all over the world, working in an ever-changing environment, we can see that our studio is now redundant.
So we’ve decided to remain a remote studio for the long term.
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It means we can spend more time focusing on the things we love, the work we do, the events we run (when we can get back to them) and the partnerships we forge – rather than worrying about battling with BT, leaky taps and whether we remembered to set the alarm.
It also frees us up to be more selective on the type of work we take on.
So we’re relishing the opportunity to focus more on positive impact environmental, ethical, social, arts/ culture and charity projects from here on in.
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We’re not going 100% virtual. We’ll be creating an Ideas Room at And Studios just up the road, where we can get together, throw thoughts around, meet clients and just hang out, if we want to.
But from March 2021, the old studio will be no more.
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For the League of Strangers too, it means change.
No longer a residents’ hotdesking space on the high street, the League will revert back to its original form – a disparate but connected creative community which we’ll bring together through stories, happenings and surprises as soon as we’re able to again.
A new Strike magazine has just landed, and we’re hell-bent on bringing back Firelight later this year, along with a clutch of creative collaborations and all manner of digital delights in the offing.
So out with the old, in with the new.
Ideas are forming.
We can’t wait to see where they take us…
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And if your working from home is starting to bite, here’s a little exploration into what it means to create brain space, from back in the day.
Feels even more relevant, right now.
Phew! If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading, stay safe and see you on the other side…
Team Stranger Xx
