Scientific research on creatives and creativity
Academic collaborators
10/2025 - ongoing
A survey on the psychological impact of the 2025 SET Woolwich studio closure
Team
Research
Oliver Durcan, Sven Mündner, Roland Fischer-Vousden, William Winchester
Partners
SET, Beispiel
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Background
In August 2025, members of SET Woolwich were given notice that their studios would close. SET is an artist-led organisation that runs several studio centres across London. The Woolwich site, which opened in January 2021 in Riverside House spanned 140,000 square feet across roughly fifteen floors, housing almost 300 artist workspaces and over 600 artists at its peak.
Studio rents began at £0.90 per square foot per calendar month, fully inclusive of utilities, business rates and broadband, and rose to £1.10 in later years - between £10.80 and £13.20 per square foot per year. For comparison, Acme Studios, the largest provider of affordable artist studios in England, supported 853 artists across fifteen buildings at an average inclusive rent of £13.76 per square foot per year in 2023 (Acme Studios, 2023). Forma, another London-based provider, let studios at £22 per square foot per year. Open-market commercial workspace in inner south-east London ranges higher again.
SET Woolwich was the most affordable artist studio provision in London during its operating life: even at its highest rate, it sat below the Acme average. Many of the artists who held studios there could not hold studios in London at any other price point. Therefore, the closure announcement did not represent only the loss of a particular workspace; it represented, for a substantial number of those affected, a question about whether they could continue their practice in the city at all.
This report examines the wellbeing impact of that announcement on SET Woolwich members. It draws on a survey of 167 members, administered shortly after the announcement, using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (Topp et al., 2015) as its primary outcome measure, alongside questions about how the studios and local surroundings were used by members.
Next Steps
The data acquisition and analysis are complete. The results are currently being written up.
In August 2025, members of SET Woolwich were given notice that their studios would close. SET is an artist-led organisation that runs several studio centres across London. The Woolwich site, which opened in January 2021 in Riverside House spanned 140,000 square feet across roughly fifteen floors, housing almost 300 artist workspaces and over 600 artists at its peak.
Studio rents began at £0.90 per square foot per calendar month, fully inclusive of utilities, business rates and broadband, and rose to £1.10 in later years - between £10.80 and £13.20 per square foot per year. For comparison, Acme Studios, the largest provider of affordable artist studios in England, supported 853 artists across fifteen buildings at an average inclusive rent of £13.76 per square foot per year in 2023 (Acme Studios, 2023). Forma, another London-based provider, let studios at £22 per square foot per year. Open-market commercial workspace in inner south-east London ranges higher again.
SET Woolwich was the most affordable artist studio provision in London during its operating life: even at its highest rate, it sat below the Acme average. Many of the artists who held studios there could not hold studios in London at any other price point. Therefore, the closure announcement did not represent only the loss of a particular workspace; it represented, for a substantial number of those affected, a question about whether they could continue their practice in the city at all.
This report examines the wellbeing impact of that announcement on SET Woolwich members. It draws on a survey of 167 members, administered shortly after the announcement, using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (Topp et al., 2015) as its primary outcome measure, alongside questions about how the studios and local surroundings were used by members.
Next Steps
The data acquisition and analysis are complete. The results are currently being written up.