These Affordable studio providers are alliance members of laasn as they commit to deliver studio space as affordable as possible on a not for profit basis and they commit to dedicating at least 80% of their space to artists and makers.
SPACE
Established by artists in 1968, SPACE runs 20 artist studio buildings across 7 London boroughs and Colchester, providing affordable creative workspace plus support programmes, such as exhibitions, artists residencies, bursaries and training opportunities, to enable artists to be sustainable. SPACE also delivers Learning projects for schools, young people and communities neighbouring SPACE studio sites, to promote engagement with creativity and the arts.
SPACE supports more than 800 artists with studios and a further 700 a year with professional development. Additionally, SPACE engages 22,000 people a year through its public programmes.
Space is a social enterprise constituted as a company limited by guarantee and a charity.
ASC
ASC has grown into one of the largest affordable workspace providers in the UK, currently supporting more than 700 practitioners within 552 workspaces across nine buildings and spanning six London Boroughs. To date we have developed and managed a total of 22 buildings, 1360 workspaces spanning 9 London Boroughs.
These spaces are offered to artists, designer makers, arts charities and not-for-profits only. Unless stated otherwise our rents are inclusive of electricity, heating, business and water rates, buildings insurance, service charges and broadband.
London based registered charity founded in 1993. Our core aims are to support artists and makers, promote the arts and educate the public in the arts.
Second Floor Studios & Arts
Established in 1997, Second Floor Studios & Arts (SFSA) has firmly cemented its position as a pioneer in the arts sector, primarily by ensuring the provision of affordable, long-term studio workspaces. These spaces cater to a diverse range of creative practitioners, including visual and fine artists, craft and designer makers, as well as other innovative fields within the creative industries.
SFSA’s Deptford Foundry site has been bought on a 250 year leasehold. Opening in March 2019 as the largest new development of affordable studios to open within zone two in the past 13 years.
Second Floor Studios & Arts operate as a social enterprise through our two company structures SFSA Ltd and SFS CIC. Ultimately all purchased sites will be left in perpetuity for future generations.
Q: Are you looking to grow? A: Yes. Preferably to buy sites >25,000 sq ft on long leaseholds.
Q: Do you undertake Meanwhile projects? A: Meanwhile sites are hard to finance due to their short term nature. Fit out costs can be considerable and once the project closes the fit out can’t always be recycled into another site. SFSA would prefer to focus their energy and finite resources on long term projects.
SET
Started in 2016, SET is a membership-based arts organisation currently based in 6 sites across London. We curate a broad arts programme in our project spaces, including a music and performative arts programme in our venue in SET Dalston. Those who take on artists workspace at SET become Associate Members and help guide the organisation through our Members’ Programme. Members can develop projects across our various project spaces, meaning those who take workspace in Lewisham can also run projects in Dalston. The idea is to develop a broad community of artists working together across SET’s centres.
We are committed to keeping workspace as affordable as possible and offer all-inclusive (i.e. including utilities and internet) in order to be transparent about costs. Further to this, we also offer Members the opportunity to book project spaces to privately develop work: the idea being that artists’ practices need not be limited by current financial resources.
SET is a registered charity and we operate largely in meanwhile use sites, but are looking to secure permanent centres in the near future to run alongside our meanwhile model, both through purchase and also on long-leaseholds.
Tannery Arts
A registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Society Act (2014).
We provide high quality, affordable studios, working in partnership with Drawing Room, the only non-profit public gallery in Europe specialising in drawing.
Started in Bermondsey by a core group of artists, Tannery Arts has grown to provide studios for artists at all stages of their career, from graduating to established, currently across three sites. Our vision is of studios playing a very specific role in community growth and development. We are currently planning expansion beyond locations in LB Southwark but will remain small to medium sized and artist-led, with our historic partnership with Drawing Room central to our relationship with art, artists and communities.
Tannery Arts has secured a ground-breaking Section 106 agreement for affordable studios and a new bespoke gallery for Drawing Room on a 25-year lease with London Square Bermondsey. Built by Coffey Architects this building will be the headquarters from which we will plan other long lease premises to provide stability and sustainability for artists in London.
Our ambition is to strike the right balance between having sufficient buildings in our portfolio on a range of lease lengths to maintain a strong, sustainable financial platform for our work, while giving affordability and retaining the collegiate spirit within our community of artists.
The Koppel Project
The Koppel Project (est. 2016) is an arts charity, gallery, and creative hub based in central London. TKP supports early and mid-career artists by offering affordable, communal studio spaces.
The Koppel Project exhibition programme provides funding and logistical support for the staging of exhibitions by studio residents as well as guest artists and curators while collaborating with national and international artists, curators, and institutions from a range of disciplines to develop curatorial projects and thoughtful exhibitions that provoke dialogue and generate diversity in the art world.
APT
Art in Perpetuity Trust was founded in 1995 by a group of artists in an old warehouse on Deptford Creek. Its mission was and still is to support creative thought and artistic vision both in the studio and in the wider world. At its freehold premises on the banks of Deptford Creek, APT provides 42 secure studios for visual artists, a contemporary art gallery, a working sculpture yard and an external public performance space.
APT forges links and collaborations locally, nationally and internationally to deliver projects that try to help us see the world through new eyes. Our ongoing schedule of Gallery exhibitions, Open Studios and APT LIVE weekends is backed up by an education programme including talks, film screenings and performances and the highly-regarded CREEKSIDE OPEN, now in its 15th year.
arebyte brings innovative perspectives to art through new technologies
arebyte leads a pioneering digital art programme at the intersection of new technologies and contemporary culture. From net art’s inception in the 90s to more recent innovations in computer technology from VR to AI, arebyte invites multiple voices to create multimedia installations at arebyte Gallery, London, and online experiences at arebyte on Screen.
Alongside the art programme, arebyte Skills features short courses on digital theory and creative software and hardware. Through workshops led by artists working within the digital realm, arebyte Skills provides practitioners and newcomers with hands-on techniques for digital making.
arebyte also supports a vibrant community of artists, designers and creative technologists through arebyte Studios, an initiative that provides affordable workspaces to 150 creative professionals across London.
Wood Street Walls are a London based organisation working to empower local communities and artists in public space. Together with their in-house team of artists and creative professionals they curate walls and coordinate events and run two artist workspaces in Walthamstow, London.
Since their formation over 5 years ago, they have helped facilitate and curate over 100 murals in the East London area and use the power of art and creativity and highlight key social issues and causes that affect London and the UK.
“We advocate for high-quality, affordable, long-term studio
space, sharing best practices in studio provision across the creative and cultural sector. We support one another, share advice, and collectively work to improve London’s studio provision for artists, makers and designers
- LAASN”
LAASN associates meet every first Thursday of the month.
Current Chair: Matthew Wood, Founder Director, Second Floor Studios & Arts.