"It's just sitting here waiting for somebody to bring it to life. It needs that. Ashington needs that," Adam Nowell tells me.
We're sitting in what was once a 200-seat theatre in a building known locally as the Piv. The ashtrays haven't been emptied from their last use in the 90s, pint glasses sit on the tables that circle what was once a stage, and a TV the depth of about six flatscreens somehow sits suspended on a bracket above the stairs.
A theatre seems like an odd extra to be thrown with a tattoo studio, but Emporium do things a little bit differently. Before Adam and his wife Rebecca moved into the ground floor of the former bingo hall, they ran the UK's first mobile tattoo studio, operating from the back of an ambulance.
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Both Adam and Rebecca were born in Ashington and after years of working and travelling, they moved back and took over the Piv on Milburn Road in July 2021. After renovating the ground floor themselves, they opened Emporium to the public in September.
Adam said: "We really like the history of the building. When we moved in, there were old clothes hanging up and we think they might have been from the 1900s. When I touched them, they disintegrated!
"We stripped the place out and now we've got the tattoo studio on the ground floor."
I visited the studio on an open day, where customers could come in for a 'get what you get' tattoo. Adam explained: "It's basically a gumball with a selection of tattoo designs within it and you get what you get. The popularity is unbelievable, we have people on their 15th get what you get - some people have whole arm sleeves of them."
I decided to take Adam at his word (I'm scared of needles) - though I did open a gumball and got a tattoo of the moon and stars being held in some hands.
But Emporium is about more than just the tattoo studio - Adam and Rebecca dream that eventually, the building will be a community hub. And the couple have several ideas on how they want to use the theatre once it's had a bit of TLC and meets any required safety restrictions.
He said: "We've got this massive space in the centre of Ashington and it's completely unused. It's a massive shame.
"I'd like to be able to offer this space to schools for Christmas plays, they can put on any productions they want to in a real theatre and we'd like to be able to do that for free. The only way to do that is to get some grants to help us support that.
"There's nothing here (in Ashington). It sounds horrible, but there are a lot of kids that hang around and they're not bad kids, they're just being mischievous because there's nothing here other than a few sports clubs.
"I'd like to have somewhere children can become interested in the performing arts. Some kids in Ashington haven't been out of the town, so it's time they were offered something. Even if it's just a safe place to meet new friends. That's the hope behind the theatre."
Adam is also toying with the idea of a comedy club and drag shows, and opening up the theatre as a rehearsal space for amateur dramatics groups. But all of that is still a while off. He said: "That's where we want to go eventually. It's a lot of work and it's daunting. But we'll have a go and I think we can do it."
For now, they're employing local artists and have opened the space to businesses who operate in a similar field. During my visit I meet Liv, who is doing an apprenticeship in tattoo art; Louise Noble, a piercer; and Sophie Turner who runs her business 'Aesthetically So' from the studio alongside working for the NHS part-time
Sophie, who lives in nearby Stakeford, deals in anti-wrinkle injections and fillers. She said: "When I was on maternity leave, I wanted to have something for me that works around my life and my daughter, Georgie. Being here is a good opportunity to grow the business."
Piercer Louise started on the day of my visit and said: "I'm born and bred in Ashington and it's so exciting to be here and see what Adam has got planned. To be part of it I think will be absolutely exceptional!
And on her new job, she said: "Piercings have always fascinated me, even when I was younger. I've got about 30 now - they're a way to express yourself and gain confidence for a lot of people."
Whether it's the tattoo side of the business or their community hub hope, Adam and Rebecca are keen to do something that Ashington can be proud of. Rebecca said: "We'd like to make it about Ashington and help people to have some fun. This building has so much history to local people, and when people come we want them to feel special and that people are being looked after."
A sentiment which Adam echoed, saying: "I want everything to have a shine and a smile."
