Historic Buildings

Creativity, Access and Cooperation: A future for the Arthouse Partnership at the Old Deptford Library

South East Arts London (SEAL and Lewisham Arthouse Ltd (LAH) will repair and renew the Grade II-listed Old Deptford Library (ODL), maintaining and extending its current function as a community arts centre – the ‘Arthouse’ – by building on our heritage of, and commitment to, creativity, access and cooperation to launch a new chapter for the building and its contemporary arts and community programme. This is a conservation-led building project, that will improve our heritage management through training and increased staffing, deliver powerful community arts and heritage programming, increase visibility on the street and through communications, and loudly celebrate our building and its story. By improving spaces and facilities for artists and the public, embedding the building and programme firmly into the townscape and local area, enhancing our work with local residents and partners and taking full advantage of the opportunity to take on a long-term lease for the ODL, we will develop a sustainable operating model that both protects our built heritage and our unique history of cooperation. Throughout this application, the ‘Arthouse’ refers to the existing artists’ studio complex and the artistic activities carried out within the ODL.