Wallis Road

“I’ve been at Mainyard Studios since the very beginning. I was at university doing my MA at the Royal College of Art and started cold-calling studios. I happened to call Mainyard Studios (MYS), and they told me they were building a new subsidised studio. I came to view the space when it was just concrete, and Tash (MYS) showed me the square footage of what my studio would look like. I’ve been here since then. Last year, I moved into a bigger space, and now I’m moving to an even larger one on the other side of the building.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Creative Land Trust in their landmark first acquisition, and look forward to working alongside the other like-minded organisations that take up CLT’s tender to operate the other affordable workspaces in the building. At a time when artists feel their contribution to community is threatened through lack of workspace availability and affordability, it is heartening to see that tide being turned by the CLT, and Cell is fully committed to playing our part in that positive change.”

“Some of my friends here had struggled to find affordable spaces in London, often venturing far from the city centre to find anything. I then heard back from Cell Studios and was able to get a space with them, which I am sharing with a few artist friends.  The people managing the building are very helpful. I’d say I’m pretty lucky to get this space; it’s so affordable. It’s pretty much in central London, and the area around it is amazing.”

“Working alongside the Mayor of London, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Outset Contemporary Art Fund, the Arts Council is pleased to be a founding partner of Creative Land Trust and to support its mission to provide artists with new and affordable workspaces. As well as helping artists, creatives and makers thrive and develop their practice, Creative Land Trust is helping energise and strengthen places like Hackney Wick by embedding these workspaces across the city to create better and more creative high streets.”

“Our culture and creative industries contribute almost £60 billion to the economy every year and play a key role in driving forward our economic and social recovery, but we know artists are facing pressures from unstable leases and rising rents. It is vital that we provide affordable workspaces for creatives and artists across the city so that they can thrive. Investing in the creation of affordable workspaces across the capital generates important economic and social returns for our city. That’s why I helped found the Creative Land Trust and why I encourage others to invest in the crucial work they are doing, as together we build a better London for everyone.”