On a quiet weekday morning, on a quiet weekday morning, The Mill is anything but still. A textile artist hums as she threads colour into cloth. The rhythmic tap of a painter’s brush echoes down the hallway. From a studio upstairs comes the faint rehearsal of a dancer marking out steps, while a jewellery maker bends metal into something new.
This is The Mill’s heartbeat, creative energy in constant motion, and now, there’s even more space for it to grow.
In June 2025, the multidisciplinary arts organisation expanded into a vast warehouse loft tucked just behind its Angas Street home. The refurbished space has added 15 new studios, bringing the total to more than 70 creative workspaces, and officially making The Mill South Australia’s largest creative studio precinct.
For an organisation that began in 2013 as a small artist-run space, it’s a remarkable evolution, and a meaningful cultural boost for the CBD.
The Mill has always been more than four walls and a few studios. It’s a place where disciplines collide: visual arts sit alongside dance, jewellery next to photography, writers alongside designers. This cross-pollination is part of what CEO and Artistic Director Katrina Lazaroff believes sets The Mill apart.
“We’ve built a community where artists and creatives truly belong,” she says. “A place where people of all disciplines connect, inspire one another, and help shape the audiences who visit. We’re thrilled to welcome even more artists into that community.”
The expansion allows The Mill to grow its already diverse mix of residents, from emerging artists seeking their first professional space to long-established practitioners looking for a collaborative environment. The organisation’s wrap-around support, mentorship opportunities and curated programming help ensure those artists don’t just create, but thrive.
For many creatives, The Mill is the difference between staying in Adelaide and feeling the need to leave.
“We nurture grassroots, locally made work,” Katrina says, “and we support South Australian creatives to stay in Adelaide, to build their practice here, not somewhere else.”
General Manager Tim Watts says the expansion isn’t just good news for artists, it’s good news for Adelaide.
“Creative spaces like The Mill are integral to the cultural fabric of a city,” he says. “They enhance liveability and bring important economic benefits to their neighbourhoods.”
With 12 years already on Angas Street, The Mill has had a measurable impact: thousands of artists supported, countless careers launched, and an ever-growing stream of exhibitions, performances and workshops that bring new experiences to local audiences.
The warehouse expansion means even more opportunities for creative development, community connection and cultural activity at a time when the CBD is working hard to attract foot traffic and build vibrancy.
“We hope to continue our growth well into the future,” Tim adds.
You don’t need to be an artist to experience The Mill.
Its gallery program and offices are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, and for those curious about what goes on behind the studio doors, guided tours run every fortnight, alternating Tuesdays at 11am and Fridays at 4:30pm.
Visitors can explore the studios, meet resident artists and gain a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process, from the first spark of an idea through to finished works.
As The Mill grows, so does Adelaide’s reputation as a city that embraces and elevates creativity. In an era when many artists struggle for space, time and support, this expansion signals something powerful: that South Australian artistry is not only valued, but invested in.
And inside those new warehouse walls, where paint, movement, sound and imagination swirl together, the next chapter of Adelaide’s creative story is already taking shape.
Find out more: themilladelaide.com
