Catford in southeast London, once considered a cultural backwater, will gain 10,000 sq. ft of new artists’ studios in April 2016, thanks to Bow Arts. The educational arts charity has won the tender to create workspaces, for between 35 and 60 emerging artists, on the fourth floor of Catford Town Hall. Designed by the Hackney-based practice, Studio Tilt, the project is being funded by Lewisham Council and the Greater London Authority’s High Street Fund.
Bow Arts is also partnering with the London Small Business Centre to develop the fifth floor of the town hall into a space to support creative start-ups. “Catford is one of those places to watch in London,” says Marcel Baettig, the chief executive of Bow Arts. “It is growing in reputation and confidence really fast and is becoming an exciting place to be in the arts.”
