‘We need more spaces in London to nurture creativity’ – how this venue is paving the way

Two decades ago, up-and-coming artists and creatives could find a large space in east London’s sprawling warehouse district to set up shop and get to work for a reasonable price.

Finding such a space is a rarity today. The remaining accessible spaces in London for artists to convene and create come with a hefty price tag, as the cost-of-living continues to present hurdles to the creative industry.

Non-artists looking to express their creative side have also faced hurdles – popular activities such as paint and sip cost as much as £50 per person. 

The Guardian reported that since 2020 alone, the average studio size for artists in the capital has halved. And as the cost of renting continues to rise in the capital, many creatives are leaving their formerly bustling East London studios and heading to cheaper areas. 

But tucked around the corner from Cambridge Heath Overground station, a venue focused on the Joy of Expression is aiming to provide a ‘unicorn’ creative space in a city where areas to freely make art are hard to find.

The Art House, created by Acrylicize, held its first inaugural two-day programme called JOY this week, bringing a lineup of international artists, storytellers and other creative pioneers to host workshops, chat, and bring the community together. 

The venue in Hackney is an open warehouse space, with couches to sit on and chat, a small refreshments bar in the background and various installations from London artists.

‘We need more spaces like this that exist in different parts of London to nurture the creativity in all of us,’ attendee Daisy, 24, told Metro. 

She said she came to the event not knowing exactly what to expect, but the different activities and spaces in the venue provided a bit of peace, which she said she ‘wouldn’t normally make’ for herself. 

Around one corner, artist Charlie Boyden, 29, led a workshop focusing on using pieces of waste wood and metal wire to make interactive sculptures. 

‘We’re just going to be creating sculptural forms and piecing these together,’ he told Metro, pointing to the wood scraps. ‘You’re only limited by your imagination.’

Charlie has been working as an artist since university, where he focused on sculpture. He said JOY managed to curate a space which brings younger people together, who want to work in London, even if it means limited space and higher prices.

‘Even if the rent is still high, they’ve got a space to begin making and showing their craft,’ he added.

‘It’s not only a chance to network with people, but also to just do what you like to do, and have the space and platform to help you as an artist and someone trying to just do their thing.’

James Burke, Founder of Acrylicize, told Metro that JOY is intended to be a yearly festival to provide an open space and celebrate the joy of expression.

‘The thing that’s guided my entire career is this: how do you bring art and people closer together? How do you bridge that gap?

‘What Acrylicize does is engage with the arts in different mediums, it’s about blurring the lines,’ he said. ‘It’s art, but it’s also so culture, it’s creativity, it’s music, it’s food, it’s expression. It’s a place to do these things.’

Connor Rankin, 32, the head of programs at the Art House, told Metro the cultural climate of music venues and art spaces being closed down didn’t go unnoticed by Acrylicized.

‘We wanted to do our part to open up a space for people to come together. The warehouse itself is naturally a very creative environment,’ he explained.

‘It allows lots of space for expression, so we tried to plan and create everything here with creativity in mind.’

Connor said he hopes events like JOY will encourage other businesses to consider letting artists use their empty spaces throughout the city.

‘Could they turn that into a space to enable creativity? We’re trying to create an ecosystem, a circular economy where our clients spin arts and creativity,’ he added.

For artist Wilfried Word, 56, who hosted a workshop creating portraits out of plasticine, the goal of Acrylicize’s event was simple: ‘Plock’.

He laughed, telling Metro: ‘It’s a cross between play and work. That’s what I think of my workshops as. It’s just as much about people mucking about as it is seriously concentrating and trying to achieve a likeness and a vibe of a person.’

Art for the community is at the centre of Acrylicized’s mission. 30-year-old Eilish told Metro she’s followed the company for a while and said The Art House has provided a space to bring in members of the public. 

‘That’s really lacking as of late,’ she said. ‘It’s nice to come to a space where they’ve curated something for you. 

‘It’s expensive to live nowadays, so the fact that it’s also free is quite rare in this day and age.’ 

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