Why it matters: The £1.92 million regeneration will transform The Baths into a Creative Digital Skills Lab, featuring only the UK's second publicly accessible Extended Reality (XR) studio, providing the enabling infrastructure to attract, develop, and retain creative talent in the town.
The details: The event took place between 18:30 and 20:30 at The Church on St Stephen's Lane, where Marcus Harris-Noble, Brighten The Corners' Director of Engagement and Skills and recently appointed Executive Director, presented plans for the much-loved venue.
Harris-Noble opened the evening by acknowledging the strong interest in the project. "Tonight is all about building the vision for what's happening at the Baths," he said. "This enables us to fulfil our potential as a creative town."
The transformation will include a lift to improve accessibility, upgraded toilet facilities, a creative digital skills lab, a video-enabled podcasting studio, and a recording studio that builds on the success of Punch Studios, which is operated by Brigthen the Corners.
The big picture: The XR studio, which Harris-Noble described as the "show stopper," is a virtual production studio that merges physical and digital worlds using LED screens, camera tracking and real-time rendering to create immersive, interactive experiences.
Harris-Noble previously set up the first XR lab in Croydon and said, "Here, we will do it our own style."
One of the main aims of the project is to retain creative talent in Ipswich and launch creative careers in the town. "There is a huge demand for talent locally, but too many young people leave the town – projects like this change that," said Tom from Summer Isle Films, who attended the event.
Community engagement: Attendees were split into groups and asked three questions about how they would use the space, what kind of projects would work there, and which other groups might benefit from it. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and there was a clear shared sense of opportunity and excitement over the plans.
Balancing priorities: When quizzed on how the expansive facility would be sustained, Harris-Noble said they want commercial activity to subsidise community activity. He said this would always be the toughest part of the project, but that a "balance" was critical and that finding it would be "a journey". He was keen to stress that community was of the utmost importance to the project's success.
What's next: Brighten The Corners will collate the notes and feedback from Tuesday's event and share their findings in four weeks.
Construction work is set to begin in late spring 2026, with doors due to open in early spring 2027. Harris-Noble confirmed that the project would prioritise local contractors in order to keep as much economic value as possible within the town.
For context: The £1.92 million funding was awarded by Ipswich Borough Council through the Towns Fund in 2025. The Baths, formerly known as St Matthew's Baths Hall, has a rich history as a community swimming baths, social club, gym and pop-up music venue.
When the regeneration is complete, local businesses, creative entrepreneurs, community groups, young people, bands and artists will have access to workshops, training, volunteer opportunities and business development support, including XR design and filmmaking, post-production and editing, audio recording and digital photography.
The bottom line: With dozens of people attending Tuesday's community event, the level of interest demonstrates strong local support for a regeneration project that aims to transform The Baths into a creative powerhouse while retaining talent and launching careers in Ipswich.
