The building

Acme Propeller Factory is the largest remaining long-term artist studio building of its kind in London, and the UK’s biggest building dedicated solely to artist studios at a genuinely affordable rent.

The 1920’s former ship propeller foundry and paper bag factory at 165 Childers Street, Deptford, has been home to artists since 1990. Its 70,492 square feet of studio space is divided into 135 studio units, with 180 artists working in them.

Acme Propeller Factory has been a continuous centre of industry throughout its history and, over the past 35 years, more than 650 artists have worked in the building.
The studio building is unique within Zone 2, as it allows noisy, messy work, often at a large-scale and involving specialist machinery.

London needs artists, artists need space in London

Acme's lease on the building is ending and we have until December 2025 to raise the funds to buy it. Otherwise, losing these studios will have a devastating impact on London’s artist community and the borough of Lewisham, leaving a gaping hole in the city’s cultural fabric.

Acme has found ways to support artists in London for over 50 years. We have an ambitious vision for the future of the site, which includes: conserving the building’s heritage and reducing its environmental impact with essential repairs; uncovering the experiences of artists in their studios with a publicly accessible archive; cultural programming and professional training and development; and a new window gallery and events space.

Post-purchase, we plan to provide additional long-term artist studio spaces on the site, opening up the building’s affordable studio provision to an even greater number of artists.