Acme secures Acme Propeller Factory as Co-Founder David Panton OBE marks five decades of leadership

In a landmark moment, London-based charity Acme has successfully purchased Acme Propeller Factory (APF) in Deptford, securing in perpetuity the largest affordable artist studio building of its kind in London.

The achievement marks a major milestone for artists’ workspace provision in the capital and coincides with the announcement that David Panton OBE, Acme’s Co-Founder and Co-Director, steps away from his executive role to focus solely on Chair of the Board duties.

The purchase was made possible through generous funding from The Julia Rausing Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK, and the Mayor of London, whose support reflects the building’s location within the Mayor’s Lewisham Creative Enterprise Zone, alongside bank borrowing and invaluable contributions from artists, friends, and local communities.

Having secured the building, Acme will now focus on conserving its heritage, improving accessibility, and reducing its environmental impact. With more than 1,300 artists currently on Acme’s waiting list, including 110 Lewisham residents, the acquisition significantly strengthens Acme’s ability to continue providing permanent, genuinely
affordable studio space for artists in London, shaping the city’s cultural landscape for generations to come.

For 53 years, David Panton OBE has led and shaped Acme’s mission to support artists with affordable studio space. Together with the late Jonathan Harvey OBE (1949-2023), he founded Acme in 1972, transforming derelict buildings in East London into much-needed spaces for artists.

Throughout this time, David has guided Acme’s evolution from a grassroots housing association into a cornerstone of London’s cultural infrastructure. He spearheaded the establishment of work/live spaces in the 1970s, providing hundreds of artists in East and Southeast London with affordable places to work and live, and co-founded the Acme Gallery in Covent Garden from 1976 to 1981, which made a seminal contribution to the development of performance and installation work principally by artists whose reputations had not yet been established.

A key part of David’s legacy has been pioneering the use of Section 106 planning agreements (via the Town & Country Planning Acts of 1971 and 1990) to secure affordable artist studios as part of regeneration projects – setting a new precedent for how arts and culture could be integrated into urban development in the UK. This was the first time an artist studio provider worked in partnership with local planning authorities and developers. Together, they embedded permanent affordable studio provision into planning frameworks, recognising and endorsing the cultural, economic, and social value that artists bring to local communities.

David’s leadership was central to the successful acquisition of Acme Propeller Factory, including securing a landmark £2.5 million grant from The Julia Rausing Trust, alongside further funding support. Acme Propeller Factory now stands both as a vital resource for artists and as a lasting symbol of Acme’s commitment to creating the conditions in which artists can live, work, and contribute to the cultural and social fabric of the city.

David will continue to serve as Chair of Acme’s Board of Trustees, ensuring that its founding vision and commitment to artists remain at the heart of its work for years to come.

Read the press release here.