Studio Residencies

Acme Studios runs a number of studio residency programmes – our Studio Residency in Tower Hamlets to be based at our new-build studios in Leven Road, London E14, and due to start in December 2008, our Studio Residency in Southwark, based at our Galleria Studios in Peckham, The Adrian Carruthers Studio Award based at our Childers Street Studios in Deptford and our Jessica Wilkes Award.

All residencies and awards offer rent free studios and bursaries.

Studio Residency In Tower Hamlets

Acme Studios is offering a free studio for 2 years plus a grant of £10,000 a year to an artist living or working in London. Black and minority ethnic artists are currently under-represented in our studios and we welcome applications from artists from these communities.

This new residency (starting in December 2008) will be based at our new-build studios at Atelier Court, a ground-breaking partnership development with affordable housing provider Swan Housing Association, in Leven Road, Poplar, London E14. The development consists of 66 affordable housing units and 21 affordable studios.

The residency is an opportunity for an artist involved with socially-engaged practice to develop significant relationships, through their work, with local residents and the wider community. It also offers a significant financial and practical breathing space, allowing an artist to focus on the development of their practice.

For an application pack, application form and monitoring form:

LBTH-RESIDENCY-PACK.pdf
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Right or Control (Mac) click to download file or view in a new window. LBTH-MONITORING-FORM.pdf
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Application deadline: Friday 13 June 2008
Interviews: Friday 4 July 2008

Studio Residency in Southwark

The Studio Residency in Southwark was established in 2006, following the completion of 50 permanent new-build studios at The Galleria in Peckham. The residency programme aims to extend the value and visibility of our studio project to the wider community. The studios were officially opened by Minister for Culture David Lammy MP in June 2006 and are part of a larger mixed-use development of private and affordable residential apartments developed in partnership with Barratt Homes.

This residency programme is an opportunity for artists who are involved in socially engaged practice to develop significant relationships with cultural agencies and communities in the borough. It is also a financial breathing-space, allowing artists to focus on the development of their practice.

The residency is awarded to Southwark-based artists, who receive a rent-free studio (worth £4,750 a year) for 18 months, plus a cash stipend of £10,000.

The programme is supported by three key agencies: Acme, Southwark Council and the South London Gallery, whose senior curator and/or director visit the artist four times throughout the residency period. The partners aim to nurture and extend the relationship between the artist, their work and the wider community, and the artist is expected to achieve publicly visible outcomes at the end of the programme and encourage greater participation in arts practice.

Programme 2, 2008 - 2009:
Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre

Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre will succeed Isa Suarez as Southwark's new artist in residence from January 2008. PRESS-RELEASE-Southwark-Residency.pdf
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Programme 1, 2006 - 2007: Isa Suarez

Southwark's first artist in residence - composer, songwriter, performer and sound artist Isa Suarez - began her residency at The Galleria Studios in Peckham in April 2006. Working with groups including Southwark Pensioners Centre, Southwark Refugee Centre, The Marroons and The Music Project at Charterhouse in Southwark, Isa has collaborated with local groups and individuals, exploring the theme of human rights in everyday life.

She says: "This award has given me the chance to develop my work as a composer, performer and sound artist within the Southwark community and will also help me develop my current commissions planned in London and abroad. This studio is good not only for my Southwark residency work but also for my practice in general. A free studio plus £10,000 means I have peace of mind financially and am able to experiment with new ideas.

I now have an ideal studio space within the lively and vibrant community where I live and work, together with financial help and support from Acme Studios, Southwark Council and the South London Gallery - it is the perfect scenario."

For further information about Isa's projects:

PRESS-RELEASE-Human-Jukebox-on-the-move.pdf
Right or Control (Mac) click to download file or view in a new window. PRESS-RELEASE-Human-Jukebox-web.pdf
Right or Control (Mac) click to download file or view in a new window. PRESS-RELEASE-GALLERIA-RESIDENCY-Apr06.pdf
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Adrian Carruthers Studio Award

Established in 2002 for artists graduating from The Slade School of Art, the Adrian Carruthers Studio Award provides a free studio for a year, plus a bursary of £5,000.

A graduate of The Slade School of Art, Adrian's family, friends and fellow artists have worked together to set up an award in his name, offering practical support to talented artists at the beginning of their careers.

The studio space is at Childers Street Studios, Deptford in South East London, where Adrian worked as an artist. Acme Studios contribute half of the cost of the studio space, as well as supporting the administration of the fund.

Soaring property prices in London and the appropriation of industrial space for residential development has made it harder for artists to find work space at affordable prices.

The future of The Adrian Carruthers Studio Award relies on donations. If you would like to help make a difference at the start of someone's career, please send your contribution to: The Adrian Carruthers Memorial Fund, c/o Acme Studios, 44 Copperfield Road, London, E3 4RR.

Terumitsu Hishinuma is the 2007/2008 recipient of the award.

For more information:

INFORMATION-Terumitsu-Hishinuma.pdf
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Recipients of the Adrian Carruthers Studio Award

"The award has given me the priceless time and space to pay full attention to my paintings in a real studio environment, free from too many financial anxieties."
Sibylle Baltzer (2002/2003)

"This award has been a necessary bridge after my postgraduate studies. Having had this time and space to carry on with my work led to several showings and supported the beginning of my teaching career. This award has benefited my work greatly."
Matt Templeton (2003/2004)

"The Adrian Carruthers Award has given us vital support over the year and helped us significantly in rendering our vision real."
Bryan Parsons, Corinna Till, Eddie Farrell, Gil Pasternak, Graham Hayward & Emma Hart (2004/2005)

"Leaving the security and support of college is extremely daunting for any student. This award serves as an invaluable advancement in my professional development and affords me the luxury of working as an artist in London which otherwise might not have been possible."
Lorraine Neeson (2005/2006)

"This fantastic bursary will allow me precious space, time and financial assistance which are all vital for the development of my work, research and ideas."
Nicola Wallis (2006/2007)

For further information on the next residency programme, please see this page or contact Acme Studios on: 020 8981 6811.