The renewal program is being run by Maitland City Council and Renew Australia. The idea is that property owners offer otherwise empty shops, offices, and commercial and public buildings to artists, creative projects and community initiatives free of charge.

Renew Australia manager Angela Simons said the program was beneficial for the whole community.

She said cold, dark, empty spaces would become active and vibrant.

Property owners can still access to the space for selling purposes and continue to advertise the property as for sale.

The people who utilised the space had the chance to see if their business model would work. If the property is sold, they have 30 days to vacate the premises.

A successful program would also increase the diversity of goods and services available in Maitland and stimulate business activity.

Renew Australia is in the process of conducting a scoping study to see if Maitland was a suitable location for the project.

The aim of the workshops is to allow people to ask questions about the project and learn more about how it works.

The seminars will be held on Wednesday and Thursday at Maitland Town Hall at 5.30pm. The first session is for property owners and the second is for creatives.

Renew Australia has developed an online survey available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RenewMaitland. More information about the scoping study can be found on the council website.