Temporary studio space for early career artists: a pilot project
Wandsworth Arts Village
The pilot project and beyond
Project partners and benefits
In the longer term
Forty early-career artists have been given the opportunity to rent affordable studio space on a temporary basis as a result of a new pilot project at Wandsworth Business Village in South London. This exciting project was initiated by the National Federation of Artists’ Studio Providers (NFASP) and property specialists Workspace Group and Glebe Joint Venture Partnership, and is being delivered by experienced artists’ studio provider and educational charity ACAVA (Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art).
‘Wandsworth Arts Village’ opened in January 2009 and provides very affordable studio spaces, communal workshops and a gallery/project space to support the research, development, production and presentation of high quality contemporary art for public audiences.
The project is located close to Wandsworth’s town centre and features a small gallery where local people can experience art works and creative projects at first hand. This space is curated and run by members of the studio community, providing valuable developmental experience for them, as well as opportunities for debate and exchange amongst the artists and with the public. To date the ‘Studio One’ gallery on site has mounted a public exhibition every month, and is the venue for programmed critical discussions and training sessions to support the artists’ professional and creative development and community engagement.
With the support and collaboration of ACAVA, Workspace/Glebe, Wandsworth Council’s arts team and the local Wandsworth Town Centre Partnership the artists are engaging in a range of exciting creative and cultural projects for members of the public inside and outside the building, including educational and other creative activities with the local community and schools. They are holding regular ‘Open Studio’ and other participatory events, including as part of Wandsworth Arts Festival in May, and are in discussion with Local Authority officers and the Disability Arts in Wandsworth Network (DAWN) about other projects and opportunities for the public.
The early career artists have formed themselves into a vital and sustainable creative community and been instrumental in the establishment of the project from the very start. Their effort and involvement have meant immediate full occupation and a strong sense of mutual support and collaboration amongst the artists in the studios, as well as helping to keep costs down and improve the space and facilities.
Building on this commitment, ACAVA has been providing training and work experience in aspects of studio management, fundraising and community engagement and education work for members of the new studio community, helping to pass on knowledge, develop skills and seed the studio providers, educators and arts organisations of the future.
The temporary studios, in this case available for at least eighteen months, are specifically designed to support emerging artists who could not otherwise afford a studio, or who could have to wait years for a space with an affordable studio provider. The project demonstrates the imagination and foresight of Workspace Group - a leading provider of flexible business accommodation - and Glebe - a dynamic property investment and development company - in recognising the benefits of sharing their space and time in this way.
They, and the NFASP, hope that the pilot will encourage landlords and developers alike to work with studio providers in making unused space available for artists to work in, rather than leaving their buildings empty. Widening participation in Higher Education means that more artists than ever are graduating from our universities each year. There is a pressing need to find cheap space in which they can work, to enable them to realise their full potential as creative practitioners and maximise their contribution to culture and society.
The Wandsworth Arts Village project offers a model whereby property that is awaiting redevelopment can be made available for cultural uses. In this pilot project, London’s recent art graduates, and other early-career artists, were able to take up a first studio space in the capital at a very affordable rent. Without this kind of support, such artists could face years on the waiting list for an affordable studio from one of London’s artists’ studio providers. This is a situation that is mirrored in cities, towns and rural areas all over the United Kingdom.
Such an opportunity provides the crucial bridge that will allow artists like these to fulfil the promise of their education, and make an immediate contribution to culture, society and their local communities through art and creative practice. These are the very artists who will create the art of the future, making it available to the public in exhibitions and activities throughout the capital and the nation.
They will also be some of the teachers, project leaders and facilitators of future generations of creative people and the wider public, contributing to individual and social well-being and development. Without projects like this one, many artists face losing the momentum of the education and other opportunities that they have fought hard for, and worked hard at, whilst waiting their turn and struggling to fund the research and practice from which art and creativity comes.
Project partners and benefits:
The National Federation of Artists’ Studio Providers (NFASP) is pleased to be working with ACAVA (Association for Cultural Advancement through Visual Art) to deliver this pilot project and is hoping to extend schemes like this to work with other studio providers across the U.K. An experienced educational arts charity and studio provider, ACAVA has worked for 30 years with a wide range of visual artists to provide educational, developmental and creative opportunities to members of the public. They have extensive experience in providing artists’ studios in temporary and permanent buildings, as well as an inspirational track record of supporting early career artists.
In addition to their benefits for culture and education, vibrant creative and cultural communities have a proven worth in regeneration agendas, and their activities bring art and life to an area. The long everyday working hours and additonal weekend use of many artists’ studios provides presence and security, and the productive use and care of buildings avoids the blight and antisocial behaviour often associated with vacant sites.
The NFASP, together with their project partners Workspace Group and Glebe, hope that this pilot will provide a persuasive example of the benefits of granting access to temporary space for all kinds of cultural and social uses. Instead of lying empty, or being prematurely decommissioned, property that is earmarked for later development can be kept in productive use, at no risk to the eventual scheme, and no cost to the property’s owners.
As part of its wider remit, the NFASP is developing case study material on a range of artists’ studio models and developments, including in temporary space and as part of larger housing schemes. We hope that successful projects such as Wandsworth Arts Village will increase awareness of the value of artists at the heart of our communities and encourage planners, property owners and developers to seek longer-term or more permanent affordable artists’ workspace. The existing affordable artists’ studio sector grew up out of initiatives very much like Wandsworth Arts Village and the NFASP is keen to ensure that all of the lessons and benefits of 40 years of evolution are put into practice to support current and future generations of artists, to the benefit of culture and the creativity, education and engagement of the public.