FAQ

How do I get started?
In order to view a studio in person you must be registered, with the exception of studio hires. The studios listed under 'Vacant Studios' are also available to artists currently in a SPACE studio who wish to transfer.


Do SPACE contact artists if a studio comes up?
You can sign up to receive studio updates here.


How soon will I get a studio?
Studio availability is hard to predict and demand is high, with preference going to those who have been registered for longer. Your registration date will determine your position on the list, but artists who are proactively looking for a studio will invariably find one sooner than those who are not.

If you are prepared to take on a share or a sub-let you may find space more quickly than waiting for a studio exactly tailored to you. The tenant decides who they wish to sub-let to or share with and routine registration length does not apply.

However having taken on a sub-let or share previously does not necessarily give you priority for applying for vacant studios. Your initial registration date may stand if there is a lot of other interest in the same studio.

Allocation of studios is not made immediately. Viewing is left open for at least two or three weeks to ensure all interested parties have visited and as many appointments as practicable have been accommodated. At the end of that time the studio will be allocated.


How do I get to see a studio advertised on the website?
Contact our reception on 020 8525 4330.

If the studio site has an artist key holder on site you will be given their contact details and can make an appointment with them to view the studio directly. Artist key holders are artists with a studio at the site who have offered to provide this service. They are not employees of SPACE, they do not have any additional information about the studio, they keep studio hours and carry no sway in allocating the studio! It is important to keep an appointment made with a key holder.


How are studios allocated?
In cases where there is more than one person interested in the same studio it will either be allocated to the artist registered longest, or to the one who best matches other criteria for that particular studio. Top priority may also on occasion be given to artists currently in a SPACE studio who wish to transfer in-house (please note that this does not apply to shares or sublets.)


What about the allocation of studio shares and sublets?
If the studio is a share or a sublet the contact details will generally appear on the website. It is up to you to contact the individual tenant to view the studio and discuss their terms. Studio allocation is at the discretion of the tenant and length of time registered does not apply.


What kinds of artists can rent a SPACE studio?
SPACE is an arts charity dedicated to helping fine artists, painters, sculptors, printmakers etc. Certain sites have specific interest communities, eg. designer-makers at Sara Lane studios. We do not accept practices that are purely commercial i.e. printing T-shirts or manufacturing an already designed product; we do accept original designers, eg. textile designers and furniture designers; we do not accept office-based practices that may require heavy use of the telephone, loud meetings and conversations or frequent visitors if the studio is in a building where sound travels easily as this is disturbing to other artists and a security risk. Studios are not soundproofed and therefore we can only accept artists working in sound installations and video if they use headphones.


How accessible are the studios?
One third of our sites have studios with disabled access and adapted toilets. When studios with these facilities become available an artist with disabilities requiring these provisions will always be given priority.


If I state on my registration that I want a 200sq ft studio can I change my mind?
The information that you give on the registration form is there to help us decide what size to make studios if we take on a new building, and does not in any way affect your choice of any vacant studio that may become available.


I’ve been allocated a studio! What next?
You will need to make an appointment to sign the tenancy agreement at the SPACE office. Allow at least one hour for going through the papers. A tenancy is an important, legally binding commitment and should not be rushed through. You will need to bring a cheque for the tenancy admin fee, made out to 'Art Services Grants Limited', for £50 and a separate cheque for your deposit of one month’s rent plus the first month’s rent if applicable.


Why the £50 charge?
As a charity we have to cover our administration costs. A one-off administration fee of £50 goes towards processing your studio tenancy and our general overheads. By consolidating this in a one-off, fixed admin charge we don’t have to reflect it in increased studio rents.


How secure are the studios?
Over the years we have increased security measures on all of our sites. However the safety of the studios relies on its tenants double locking doors and closing windows before leaving. We rely on artists’ vigilance and cooperation to maintain high security standards.


How long do I have to keep the studio?
A tenancy is for a maximum term of 5 years. There is no minimum. If you change your mind it is a simple process to give up the studio.


What is the notice period?
One calendar month. You should give written notice to SPACE on the first of the month and move out and return keys on the last.


What does the rent include?
All charges relating to the property: rent, rates, building insurance, professional fees (lawyers, surveyors etc), weekly refuse collection, water rates, maintenance and administration.


What doesn’t it include?
Heating, electricity and contents insurance. Electricity is sub-metered, so each studio has an individual meter which is read every few months and an invoice sent to the tenant.


Do the studios have heating?
Generally they don't. There are a notable exceptions: Studios 1-22 at Sara Lane and Bridget Riley ground floor studios 1-8 have background heating for a few hours a day between Oct - April. Ground Floor Studios at Triangle share the office hours heating and Studios at the Malthouse in Barking and Arlington in Camden have full heating included in the rent. Studios at Timber Wharf have electric heating installed but which is paid for directly to the electricity supplier.


What about insurance?
SPACE does not provide contents insurance for studio tenants. It is at the tenant’s discretion to provide their own insurance.