Almost a year of careful planning came to fruition in January 2008, as Jonathan Audin and sister Fey Audin started the year by launching 2 new businesses under 1 roof, in our retail incubator based in St Mary Street, Southampton.
Having already run an art and curios shop in Zimbabwe and Africa, before political unrest forced him to move to England and settle in Southampton, Jonathan was used to working with local communities and supporting local talent. When he arrived in the UK, his passion for the arts never left him and he continued to dream about running his own gallery business once more.
Jonathan approached the West Itchen Community Trust in February last year as he began the lengthy and intensive planning process that would eventually lead to the recent opening of The Itchen Gallery. Initially, Jonathan was enquiring about the retail space owned by the Trust, but he soon discovered what else was on offer and found that he could be supported throughout the business start-up process and beyond.
Speaking of the support offered by the West Itchen Community Trust, Jonathan continued “Starting a business in Southampton is very different to starting a business in Zimbabwe, I had a lot to learn and going through the business planning process with Rick helped immensely. It’s been a long journey to get here, in more ways then one, but Rick has encouraged and supported me all the way and continues to help on a regular basis.”
At the business launch event Jonathan said “This gallery in essence belongs to the community, it’s a place where the community can express themselves and we can bring the numerous cultures and local talent together for everyone to appreciate. It’s fantastic to be involved in that. Fey and I experienced it in Zimbabwe and missed it very much when we moved to the UK. I’m very excited about the future and hope the Southampton community embraces the Gallery as their own. I hope to see lots of new faces in the coming months”
Rick Harwood, SO14 Enterprise Business Coach for the West Itchen Community trust said “It’s a pleasure to work with both Jonathan and Fey, they are clearly very passionate about art and culture and the Gallery is testament to their hard work. As with every new business, there are risks, but they have created an atmosphere within the Gallery that everyone can feel comfortable in. I wish them the best of luck and the Trust will continue to support them for as long they need it”
The Itchen Gallery and Coffee Shop is open from 9am – 4pm Tuesday to Sunday. Tel – 07818 002001