Acme receives £2.5m donation from The Julia Rausing Trust
We’re delighted to announce that The Julia Rausing Trust has generously pledged £2.5m towards our campaign to save Acme Propeller Factory.
Acme Propeller Factory (APF) in Deptford has been home to artists for 35 years. Currently, its 70,492 sq ft of studio space is divided into 135 units, with 180 artists working in them. Over the past 35 years, more than 650 artists have worked in the building, which has become a key component of Lewisham’s cultural heartbeat.
The Julia Rausing Trust’s donation towards Acme’s London needs artists, artists need space in London fundraising campaign puts us in a position to buy the building at the end of its current lease.
Securing Acme Propeller Factory long-term means security for the building’s community of artists, representing a landmark moment for affordable studio provision across London. We are extremely grateful to The Julia Rausing Trust for such an important signal of support.
Looking ahead, we will continue our fundraising efforts through 2025 to raise money for Acme Propeller Factory and to provide even more opportunities for artists living and working in London.
Read the press release here.
About Acme
London-based charity Acme has been supporting artists in need since 1972. Over this time, we have provided thousands of artists at all stages of career with affordable studios, work/live space, residencies and awards.
Acme is the single largest provider of permanent affordable artist studios in England, supporting over 800 individual artists across 15 buildings in Greater London each year.
About The Julia Rausing Trust
The Julia Rausing Trust has been established in memory of the late British philanthropist Julia Rausing, (née Delves-Broughton), who died in 2024.
The Julia Rausing Trust will see £100million donated to charities and organisations in its first year and annually thereafter, making it one of the largest charitable funds in the UK.
Julia Rausing co-founded The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust in 2014. She was widely known for her unwavering commitment to philanthropy and her impactful contributions to a wide range of UK charitable causes. She was instrumental in building The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust into one of the largest philanthropic funds in the country, donating £400 million to causes across Health, Welfare, and the Arts, primarily within the UK.
https://www.juliarausingtrust.org
