London’s Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZ), launched by the Mayor of London in 2018, are set to receive an additional £2.2 million to expand and protect studio spaces in the capital.
The investment aims to deliver nearly 80,000 sqm of affordable creative workspace by 2028.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “Culture is in the DNA of our great city.
“Creative Enterprise Zones have transformed London’s culture scene from grassroots level, protecting local artists, making workspaces more sustainable and creating more jobs.
“It is vital that we continue to invest in our creative future, providing opportunities for young and emerging talent to thrive.
“This investment will ensure that artists and creatives can stay in the capital, are supported to start-up and grow, and can help Londoners develop a range of creative skills, as we continue to build a better and fairer London for everyone.”
The new funding extends support to nine zones, including Croydon, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Lambeth, Hounslow, Ealing, Waltham Forest, Haringey, and Hammersmith and Fulham.
These areas will share £630,000, including £550,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to deliver affordable workspaces, business support, and planning advocacy for cultural growth.
The CEZ programme was developed in response to the decline in affordable studio spaces.
The zones have since become hubs for job creation and business growth, with creative businesses in the first six zones expanding by 22 per cent between 2018 and 2021, even as the wider London creative sector shrank.
The funding package also includes £250,000 for Acme Artist Studios to help purchase and develop the Propeller Factory in Deptford, which will secure London’s largest permanent affordable studio site for hundreds of artists.
Sir Antony Gormley, sculptor, said: “Studios are to artists what laboratories are to scientists.
“London needs artists, and artists need studios.
“I am delighted that the Mayor is supporting more space for creativity in our city.”
Up to £1.35 million will be made available later this year for long-term capital investment across the zones, including building upgrades, equipment purchases, and energy efficiency schemes.
The first round of this grant supported the creation of 20 new studios at Chiswick House and Gardens and an energy-efficient workspace in Lambeth.
Sir Anish Kapoor, sculptor, said: “Sadiq Khan’s announcement is an incredibly important development for London, which has the greatest concentration of artists of any city in the world.
“The constant and continual practice of going to the studio is fundamental to being an artist.
“Affordable studio spaces not only enable artists to make their work but foster a supportive community in a city.”
Vicky Foxcroft, MP for Lewisham North, said: “I’ve always been proud to represent such a creative constituency and it’s fantastic to see the Mayor of London giving this boost to New Cross and Deptford.
“This money will help ensure local artists can continue to work and thrive in spaces like the Propellor Factory, keeping Lewisham North firmly on the creative map.”
