Creative Land Trust Announces Andy Martin as the New Chair of the Board of Trustees
With its mission to secure permanent affordable workspace for artists and creatives, the Creative Land Trust plays a pivotal role in sustaining London’s cultural vibrancy and fostering creative communities across the city. It achieves this by acquiring buildings that are leased to artists at affordable rates, by partnering with specialist studio providers.
Incoming Chair, Andy Martin has enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished career in property, including as senior partner of Strutt & Parker before becoming UK chief executive of BNP Paribas Real Estate after the two firms merged. He was also a previous chairman of the Urban Land Institute. He will use his tenure to help Creative Land Trust expand its property portfolio and reach across the real estate and investment worlds.
With this new leadership in place, Creative Land Trust is well positioned to work alongside developers to create affordable workspaces within their own developments, by using its network of specialists and helping to unlock further investment.
Research warns of the ongoing risk of artists being priced out due to rising costs and a lack of affordable space. Many investors share a desire to support London’s cultural heart and break this cycle. They also recognise that this is mutually beneficial, creating value over time when properly incorporated into new property developments, as outlined in the recent study, Creative Places Create Value.
Creative Land Trust was set up in 2019 with seed funding from the Mayor of London, Arts Council England, and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and support from Outset Contemporary Art Fund. The Board of Trustees, thank outgoing Co-Chairs Alexandra Notay and Catherine Webster who have supported the charity in its start-up phase, laying foundations for it to enhance its impact further across the sector and the capital.
Creative Land Trust currently owns or has long leases on four buildings, providing workspaces for around 200 artists and creatives across London. It operates within the creative workspace sector, forging links between property owners and developers, local authorities, government bodies, and studio providers.
Andy Martin, new Chair of the Board of Trustees, said:
“The Creative Land Trust model is truly a world-leading and innovative approach that brings substantial benefits to everyone, particularly for local communities within the property sector. I am excited to take on this role and want to thank the team and Trustees for the hard work in securing property in perpetuity to help support the future of artists in London, which in itself is a fantastic achievement but doing so through Covid and then economically challenging times is magnificent”.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said:
“Artists are the lifeblood of our capital and help drive our economy, but many continue to struggle to find affordable studio spaces. That’s why the Mayor and I supported and invested in the creation of Creative Land Trust to protect and expand these vital workspaces. The appointment of Andy Martin as Chair of the Board of Trustees to oversee the Trust’s next stage of development is very exciting and I look forward to working alongside him to continue to provide valuable support to our creative sector, as we build a better London for everyone.”
Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England, added:
“As a founding partner, Arts Council England is proud of what Creative Land Trust has achieved so far. Andy Martin’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Trust, and we’re excited to see its continued growth in securing permanent, affordable workspaces for artists.”
Alex Notay and Cath Webster, outgoing co-chairs of Creative Land Trust, said:
“Creative Land Trust is an amazing organisation that has come a long way from inception five years ago, not only securing affordable creative workspaces across London but also advocating for the sector and raising awareness of the need for more affordable space. We wish Andy every success in his new role which comes with our full and ongoing support.”