Our new artist and maker studios, designed to provide workspaces for between 40 and 50 artists, will be opening in May 2025.
Developed in partnership with affordable workplace providers ASC (Artist Studio Company), these new studios will form part of our ambitious new Community and Creative Campus, an exciting project that will boost cultural and creative activity in the Hounslow area, and enable us to continue to support our local community.
The new creative campus aims to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive community of artists and makers that reflect the diversity of the local area, ensuring that this historically significant space remains welcoming to all and part of a thriving, sustainable local creative economy.
It will also form a part of the wider Creative Enterprise West, led by the London Borough of Hounslow and the Mayor of London, and tasked with supporting artists and creative businesses across the area.
With London-wide waiting list for affordable creative workspaces totalling over 3,000 people, and 67% of all affordable workspaces having closed since 2014, these new studios also address a growing need for accessible, fairly-priced art spaces.
The 19 studios are already taking shape in refurbished historic sheds, stables and outbuildings in our underused ‘back of house areas’ and, when finished, will provide a workspace for between 40 and 50 artists, situated in a wildlife rich green oasis of 65 acres within the busy capital.
Chiswick has long been a home to artists, and this initiative ensures that tradition continues – offering affordable, inspiring workspaces in an extraordinary and beautiful setting in the capital.
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust
We’re particularly keen to develop strong relationships with artist-makers who have a connection to Hounslow and the wider London community, with a focus on nurturing meaningful, ongoing relationships that reflect the rich diversity of the area. We’re proud of the fact that our gardens are open to everybody, every day, and are committed to welcoming artists whose values align with our own – championing inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability.
The new studios mark the first stage of an important long-term project
The new artist studios mark the first step in the creation of a vibrant community campus, a £6m redevelopment project that will create new indoor and outdoor spaces for the whole community in coming years, including a new learning hub and the transformation of an unused and overgrown 17th century walled garden into a community fruit garden.
We’re delighted to support these new artist studios. They will play an important role in helping emerging artists and further developing our borough’s rich arts and culture.
The creative arts play a central role in enriching lives, bringing people together and fostering community pride, but they also create jobs and bring visitors to the borough, boosting our local economy and showcasing the best of Hounslow.
Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Public Spaces
More than just a studio space, this new creative hub will offer artists opportunities to engage with the public through Open Studios, workshops, and exhibitions. Collaboration will be key, with artists invited to work with local groups, take part in community projects, and potentially showcase their work in the Chiswick House & Gardens shop.
London is very expensive, and artists and makers find it especially difficult to live and work here. Affordable good quality workspace is vital if the capital wishes to retain its cultural identity. The Creative Campus will offer affordable workspace to local creatives for years to come and within one of the most beautiful settings in the capital.
Peter Flack, Founder and Chief Executive Office of Artists Studio company (ASC)
The project will also help us ensure our own future remains secure, generating much-needed income to support our ongoing community work and collaborations with local charities and schools.
The studios, and the wider Community and Creative campus they form part of, have been made possible by generous support from a range of funders including the London Borough of Hounslow, the Mayor of London Creative Enterprise Zone, The Linbury Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.
For details on how to register interest, please email info@chgt.org.uk with ‘ASC Studios’ in the email title.
