Chiswick House & Gardens Trust has unveiled affordable artist studios as part of a wider development of the site in Hounslow, west London.
Local artists gathered to celebrate the launch of the studios, which were opened by Justine Simons, the deputy mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries. The 20 studio spaces are part of the trust’s wider Community & Creative Campus, an ongoing £6.4m redevelopment that is creating new indoor and outdoor spaces for the local community.
The artist studios are set in the site’s Kitchen Garden, housed in Chiswick House’s historic outbuildings. Developed in partnership with the charity Artist Studio Company, the studios will offer affordable creative workspace for up to 50 London-based artists and makers.
“These wonderful new studios at Chiswick House & Gardens will provide much-needed affordable creative workspace to local artists and help to foster a new creative community as these historic outbuildings come alive with excitement and inspiration,” said Simons.
The trust has secured more than £4.4m of the £6.4m budget for its new campus, including £180,000 from the Mayor’s £1.2m Creative Enterprise Zone Sustainability Capital Grant. The mayor’s investment has been put towards ensuring long-term sustainability for the studios.
Chiswick House & Gardens Trust director Xanthe Arvanitakis said: “As artists begin moving into these new studios, we hope to cultivate a vibrant, inclusive creative community that fully reflects the diversity of the local area, with planned open studio days and community events ensuring that this historically significant space will remain welcoming to all for generations to come.”