When a production wraps, what happens to the set? Too often, say Walthamstow couple Jo Kotas and Tim Brown, it ends up in landfill or gathering dust in storage.
The pair, both former art directors who care a lot about sustainability, set up Used Creative last year to change that. They describe it as the "Vinted of the creative industry": a resale platform that links businesses with surplus props, furniture and installations to buyers who want to reuse them.
Both used to work at Sky, Jo in the art department and Tim in theatre production. They saw the waste up close, and they saw a chance to bring the idea behind second-hand fashion to the world of sets and props.
"Used Creative is a very different experience because each item is unique and personal," Jo said.
Buyers can browse online, and the couple's showroom in Finchley is open by appointment. They say their prices are a fraction of what the items originally cost to make.
Some pieces have stories of their own. Among them are a house-sized play castle made by a Belgian billionaire, and a Christmas tree built from fairground lights and repurposed materials by Stella McCartney.
With encouragement from industry contacts and support from Patrick Shannon, Waltham Forest's industrial and growth areas lead, Jo and Tim hope to take Used Creative across the UK, Europe and North America. They're also keen to work with businesses closer to home in Walthamstow.
