Planet B Grows in SPACE4

Space4 has been an invaluable place and resource to nurture and support our organisation at a critical time in our growth. 

Having a space where we can work together lets us collaborate more efficiently on day to day projects, as well as fostering a creative environment where we can generate new ideas and solutions. Having meeting spaces for external partners and clients is also invaluable. It allows us to professionalise, which is critical for a smaller outfit competing in media production spaces with the deep pockets of traditional media. The, uninterrupted meetings in quiet dedicated spaces allow us to have those critical meetings necessary for both the success of individual projects and the growth of the organisation; production and strategy meetings, for instance. This has been particularly helpful in the last six months when we have been re-structuring the organisation and building a business plan to make us robust for the long term.

As a media production outfit, having access to spaces where we can easily record and film content is of immeasurable help; it cuts down on hiring overheads and also allows us to be more spontaneous and responsive in our content. This has allowed us to be responsive to last minute changes for clients, to problem-solve production issues as they come up, and to be ambitious in our new content. For instance, it has allowed us to expand the offering of our weekly podcast Macrodose as part of a long term-content strategy to bring progressive economics to a general audience in quick, absorbable form.

As an up and coming organisation, being surrounded by like-minded, dynamic and supportive people has been fantastic for the morale of the organisation, for skill-sharing, for networking and for keeping us connected to what others are working on in areas of ecology, technology, housing and gender justice – and where we might be able to help from a media perspective. The team at Space4 have been so incredibly supportive – lending immediate support for our own organisation, helping us connect with the Space4 community, and championing our work – all of which has been indispensable as we weather the ups and downs of starting a media organisation without seed capital or a roster of backers. And it’s been exciting to be a part of the wider community, to connect with other organisations, learn from them, and help advise on media matters. Our members have worked with Founders and Coders on an extensive research project that has contributed to their PhD.

The events space has allowed us to both showcase the podcasts we produce, series we produce. It is important to our mission to break down the barriers between ‘expert’ and audience, to make people feel empowered to ask questions and think critically about the world around them. Holding events at Space4 has allowed us to connect with audiences, network with writers, researchers and activists, and build connections with other organisations. Notably, we hosted a conference for those in the new and progressive media space last summer. This allowed us to collaborate with others, build key connections for the growth of the organisation, and put Planet B on the map.