Creating space

Art and culture are synonymous with London’s identity. From an array of globally renowned galleries to our ever-evolving music and theatre scenes and a thriving night time economy, creatives are a cornerstone of London. Despite this, creatives across the board are facing challenges to access space, practice their discipline and showcase their talent.

Rising costs for workspaces and materials are creating a difficult climate for artists. Last year, a report from studio provider Acme revealed that just 12% of artists in the capital can support themselves financially through their art, with the vast majority supplementing income through other workstreams. Over the next five years, a third of those surveyed expect to be forced out of the creative sector.

The premium on rent is leading to declining studio spaces. In a recent London studio audit, London’s Affordable Artists Studio Network (LAASN) found the average studio space has halved since 2020, from 500 sq ft down to between 200 to 250 sq ft. Both financially and physically, artists in London are being squeezed.

'Meanwhile activation'

The Fleet Street Quarter BID, (Business Improvement District) in partnership with community interest company Spark* and pan-European real estate company Atenor, have launched a ‘meanwhile activation’ that combats these issues. Bringing art and culture to the City of London, Fleet Studios is an all-encompassing hub for London’s artists.

Representing over 350 businesses across the City of London, the BID is responding to the global need to rethink commercial centres. And backed by a coalition of the willing, it is undergoing a radical transformation. An unprecedented £5bn development pipeline is reinventing the area. Acting on this wave of investment, the BID is tasked with creating a rounded destination that celebrates culture and leisure.

Partnering with Spark* has materialised this vision. Founded in 2016, Spark* is a social enterprise that launched community-driven initiative Spark York to revitalise an underused space in York.

Home to 15 independent businesses, creative studio and performance spaces and an aeroponic farm, Spark* successfully re-envisaged a discarded city centre location into a bold and urban collection of vibrant shipping containers for local businesses to trade. Since opening in 2018, 23 businesses have successfully moved into permanent city centre premises.

Diversification through social enterprise

Together, the Fleet Street Quarter BID and Spark* have created Fleet Studios by reimagining two floors of 10 New Bridge Street – a live redevelopment site delivered by Atenor. We initially met at the House of Commons, instantly seeing an opportunity to replicate Spark York’s success in the Fleet Street Quarter to diversify the area’s economy through social enterprise.

While 10 New Bridge Street is in early stages of refurbishment, Fleet Studios is a meanwhile use of vacant space in this exciting scheme. Taking Spark*’s philosophy of utilising unused space into a people-first place where creativity and community can blossom, the studios address the needs of creatives.

The 6,000 sq ft space features bespoke studio space for artists, painters, poets, writers and musicians, with a podcast studio and writers’ room available. It aims to help creatives struggling to showcase their art and provide an environment for artists who need space to hone their passion. Designed with maximum flexibility in mind to host a range of arts under one roof, it has capacity for over 40 creatives, with individual workshop spaces blended with larger mixed-use rooms.

Fleet Studios enables creative cross-fertilisation in one space, aiming to enhance the transfer of skills between artists. By championing collaboration and allowing different creative forms to co-exist, the studios will invigorate the cultural vibrancy of the Fleet Street Quarter.

Making creativity accessible

Critically, Fleet Studios is a direct reaction to the frustrations facing creatives in London and is dedicated to making creativity accessible. A percentage of studio spaces are free to hire for local artists and creative communities. Subsidised rates are also available for other spaces, helping us foster an inclusive space that provides opportunity for marginalised artists in London.

We also act as a vibrant platform for showcasing talent. On the ground floor, there is a free public art gallery featuring a rotating selection of creative works from artists, writers, poets and more. These exhibits will be on display throughout the lifetime of the activation.

Initiatives such as Fleet Studios are significant from a cultural perspective, as spaces that raise the next generation of creatives, but there’s also an economic importance. It’s estimated that the creative industry contributes around £60bn to London’s economy. By carving out space for a wave of artists, Fleet Studios could unearth our next cultural export to boost London’s creative economy.

Fleet Studios demonstrates how BIDs can deliver 'creative meanwhile' use. By partnering with Spark*, we exemplify how collaboration drives opportunity. Taking an otherwise vacant space, Fleet Studios has created a dynamic space that responds to the need of artists and rethinks how we use our urban centres.

Fleet Studios alone can’t remedy the challenges facing creatives, but it does show how innovative solutions can alleviate pressure on artists. While commercial centres might seem an unlikely solution, they have the potential to provide fresh opportunity for creatives, in turn ensuring that London’s cultural lineage continues for future generations.

Lady Lucy French is Chief Executive Officer of the Fleet Street Quarter BID.
Tom McKenzie is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Spark*.
fleetstudios.co.uk/ | sparkyork.org
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