Silvertown Studios: A New Affordable Art Hub in East London

The V22 collective is developing Silvertown Studios, a temporary neighborhood in southeast London's Silvertown area, offering affordable studio spaces for painters, sculptors, and video artists amid the city's rising costs. The project is part of a £3.5 billion regeneration program supported by the Greater London Authority and the Silvertown Partnership on the Royal Docks. V22, founded by Tara Cranswick, promotes young artists through exhibitions, affordable studios, and educational programs. Its Young London exhibition series featured over 100 artists, including Ed Atkins and Turner Prize winner Laure Prouvost. V22 also commissions and purchases artworks, building a collection valued at £2 million. The broader Silvertown regeneration, costing over £3 billion, aims to transform the area into an art destination by 2050, with 3,000 homes, offices, a school, a wellness center, retail, and music venues. The Millennium Mills building, abandoned since the 1980s, is being restored to house 150 small and medium enterprises, fostering collaboration. The restoration is expected to be completed by 2019.