SOMETHING is happening in the long building at the foot of the moor, with its massive chimney towering over the railway line just east of Ivybridge.

Although everyone knows ’the old clay factory’, ask most people and they will have no idea what goes on there these days.

The back part of the building remains in use as industrial units, but the long front part has been effectively unused for around fifteen years, ever since Western Machinery mothballed their Ivybridge operation. The company finally pulled out three years ago, and now a local charity has launched an ambitious project to turn the building into an arts hub, housing artists and small businesses and welcoming visitors to regular events like Art on the Edge on Saturday, December 3.

The Eddystone Trust is a Plymouth charity that now provides information and support to people affected by HIV across the South West. Facing a precarious funding situation as a result of local authority cuts, the charity has set up a not-for-profit community interest company in order to keep itself afloat.

The CIC, Red Pod Enterprises took on The Clay Factory earlier this year, and is setting about transforming it.

Chief executive Mags Davies showed us around, and said that every bit of the building is in a different state of regeneration, as work is carried out when funds become available. The building was in a ’pretty poor state of repair’ when the charity took it over, she said, with 1960s decor that was a far cry from fashionably vintage.

So Mags and her team are engaged in ’an ongoing process of getting things up to scratch, without making a sterile environment’.

Having signed on the dotted line in spring, The Clay Factory is already home to local small business offices and workshops, and artists using the specially made pods to work and exhibit.

Mags pointed out the far reaching-views from the building, saying the scene is ’very peaceful, considering it’s in an industrial estate.’

She continued: ’What’s interesting about this space is its place in the landscape. Everyone knows the chimney, but the number of people who say ’I’ve always wondered what goes on in there’, or ’my grandad used to work there’ is amazing.’

Mags says the aim is to build ’a community resource that’s also a community in its own right’.

She said: ’’It seems like there’s a lot going on in places like Totnes and Plymouth, but a lot of people pass through this area without tending to stop. There are some really talented people in this community, and in fact we had all the pods filled before we’d even moved in.

’We’re trying to not just rent space to people, we’re trying to create a community within a community. Everyone who has space here has the opportunity to be involved in our events, and in the future, we hope they’ll have access to support services like business development and training that we’ll offer as well.

’The main thing is getting people to realise it’s happening and to know we’re here. There’s no hard sell, we’re not trying to get anything out of people, the more people that come through the door the better.

’There’s not a single person that’s come in that hasn’t helped to shape the reality of what we’re doing in some way.

’The key thing is, if we get it right, this is somewhere people will still be visiting in 30 years. It won’t just be ’what’s that place with the chimney’, it’ll be a real resource for people in this part of Devon.’

As part of the drive to let people know about the project, and open the building up to the community, The Clay Factory is running a special Christmas edition of its Art on the Edge event on Saturday, December 3.

Between 10am and 4pm, visitors can enjoy an ’arts and makers fair’ with a chance to meet artists and admire their work. There will be workshops running throughout the day, and festive refreshments available.

From 5pm to 8pm, ’The Arty Party Before Christmas’ will feature live music, drinks and food, and a chance to look at some of the work being created at The Clay Factory.

Both events are free, although The Arty Party is ticket only. Free tickets can be obtained from www.eventbrite.co.uk .