About

Cooper’s Yard Studios is a community of creative businesses founded in 1998. Our resident companies cover a vast range of disciplines from architecture, fine art, sculpture, illustration, leather-working, bookbinding, jewellery design, bespoke dressmaking, graphic and web design, textile design, homewares, make-up, visual merchandising, photography and letterpress, to animation, theatre and fitness. At the heart of the community is Gavin Rookledge, managing director of Rook’s Books.

Back in ‘98 Gavin was relocating his studios and, wanting to stay in Crystal Palace, the potential of the yard quickly dawned on him. Shortly after converting a deserted garage for his bespoke leather-working business, he acquired The Overspill; adding The Raven, The Jay, The Magpies and Corvus Press over the next few years.

All the buildings needed extensive rebuilding and renovation work to bring them back from dereliction. Cooper’s Yard itself has a fascinating history. In the Victorian era, The Overspill, Corvus Press and The Magpies were stables for the old police station on Gipsy Hill – now converted into flats. More recently, The Overspill was a litho print house and The Magpies a screen-printing workshop. Until 2012 The Jay was a feather dying factory, using The Raven for storage. The business (called Veniards) is thriving in its new location in Croydon.

photo: mikedipre.com