#10 Australia Council Studio Book of Useful Information (2002-2015)
50 stories from The Acme Archive
Acme has run the Australia Council For The Arts London Residency Programme since 1992. It has been located in Copperfield Road, Commercial Road, Sugar House, Claremont Court, the Bow Quarter and the Fire Station. Residencies up to 2012 are formally documented in the publication, Time and Vision.
Between 2002 and 2015, the Book of Useful Information was the constant in each location. This book was filled with tips from those on residencies and letters to the next occupant. A common feature of the book is hand drawn local maps, and it is possible to see the transition from one location to another from the new maps and change in tips for local cafes and supermarkets. Penny Malone, the last resident to be based at Sugar House Lane, took photographs of the studio and of the building, noting that this had been possible by the gift of a printer left behind by the previous resident. The last entries in the book are in 2015 and mark a transition in information sources – with printed lists of website resources and a note from one resident that the Citymapper app is really useful for navigating London’s public transport system.