Acme has been providing work/live support to artists in London since our inception in 1972.
Our work/live studios offer artists a period of respite from insecure tenancies, overinflated rental charges and the lack of care and trust experienced by many in London’s private rental system.
Following a review and interviews with artist tenants, we have reshaped our work/live programme to better respond to artists’ needs and provide stable, yet flexible, tenancies that encourage professional development and are allocated as fairly as possible.
What
Work/live studios are designed to combine artists’ studio and living space.
Approximately 50sqm in size, each unit’s living area doubles as a working studio with ancillary spaces for a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.
Our work/live studios are offered on three-year tenancies and our work/live rents are fixed until 2029. Due to the small number of work/live studios Acme manages, these units cannot be allocated to an individual indefinitely. Instead, they are designed to offer working artists a stepping stone to other housing arrangements, along with time and space for their practice.
Why
Acme’s work/live studios support artists to build resilience for their futures. By fixing rents as low as possible (benchmarked against the Mayor’s London Living Rent scheme), artists have more time to focus on their practice or accumulate savings.
Space is fundamental to an artist, and not only for practical reasons. Having access to a decent, affordable home alongside making space is the foundation for good health and wellbeing.
Our work/live programme has been reshaped with three key objectives in mind:
- Protecting and nurturing the future of artists in London
- Prioritising artists’ long-term growth and development
- Offering principled and transparent conditions for occupation
Who
Our work/live studios are intended for artists with an active practice who can demonstrate ambition and resilience* in developing their work. The purpose is to provide these artists with space when they are unable to access adequate housing and workspace in London due to limited financial resources, health needs and/or other barriers. Or where the scheme allows artists to make savings or investments that will improve their housing options in the future and increase the long-term stability of their career.
* 'Ambition and resilience' refers to an artist's short- and long-term ambitions for their work, as well as the resilience they have shown in developing it to date.
How
Eligible artists who are interested in our work/live studios can submit an expression of interest when vacancies arise. A shortlist will be created using a random number generator*. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to view the studio, after which they will have the option to submit an application.
* We are using random selection in this process to offer an equal chance for all artists interested in our work/live units, when demand for these studios is so high.
Eligibility criteria
These are the conditions artists must meet before they will be shortlisted. Shortlisting is carried out by an online random number generator.
To be eligible you will need to demonstrate:
- You have an active and professional fine arts* practice of at least five years
- You have the Right to Rent for a minimum of three years
You are not eligible if:
- You are in full time education
- You are a homeowner
- You are a previous tenant of an Acme work/live studio
* (e.g. painting, drawing, sculpture, print-making, fine art photography, installation, performance, multi-media, video and time-based work, socially engaged or participatory practice). This does not include design, fashion, music or commercial photography and film.
- You have an active and professional fine arts* practice of at least five years
Selection criteria
To reflect how we make decisions, the assessment considers three areas in balance. These are weighted to indicate our priorities, rather than to score applications.
• Need for space and barriers faced (40%)
Understanding an artist's access needs and financial situation, and the challenges they face in accessing decent, safe workspace and housing
• Capacity to make use of space (40%)
Considering the artist's active practice and how the studio would support their ongoing development
• Benefit beyond the tenancy (20%)
Looking at how the opportunity contributes to the artist's longer-term career sustainability, without requiring speculative outcomes
We recognise that the barriers to maintaining a professional artistic practice can vary from person to person and change over the course of one's life. In assessing applications, we consider both the artist's circumstances - including access needs and financial situation - and the strength of their practice.
Our aim is to support artists who face barriers to accessing decent, safe housing and workspace, while ensuring the opportunity is affordable for the individual and can be meaningfully used.
Final selection will be made by Acme staff.
Other resources
We recommend that artists interested in our work/live studios continue to look for accommodation at the same time.
Due to high demand, the limited number of studios available and our aim of keeping allocation fair and unbiased, it is impossible to predict if, or when, artists will secure viewings or allocation.
If you are experiencing imminent homelessness or housing issues, these resources may be useful:
Shelter - A wealth of comprehensive information can be found on Shelter’s website under the ‘Housing Advice’ menu
Crisis - Helping people directly out of homelessness
The Outside Project - An LGBTIQ+ Community Shelter, Centre and Domestic Abuse Refuge in response to those within the LGBTIQ+ community experiencing homelessness