Lewisham Arthouse has secured a substantial amount of funding from the National Lottery heritage fund to help it deliver its ambitious plans to repair and renew the Grade II listed Old Deptford Library.
The arthouse, a not for profit artist led cooperative, and charity South East Arts London (SEAL) have been awarded a £368,000 grant to develop a project which will “reinvigorate and celebrate” the old library which it has occupied since 1994.
Founded in 1992, it provides more than 40 artist studios and a associated public gallery. It offers workshop programmes and provides subsidised workspace, event and exhibition facilities.
The arthouse wants to step up this function as a community arts centre, renovate the building, improve facilities and develop a sustainable business model for the future.
Over the next 18 months it hopes to develop detailed plans to unlock a further £2.8m from National Lottery funding and secure further matching funding of £1.4m.
By improving spaces and facilities for artists and the public, the arthouse is aiming to develop its work with local residents and partners and take on a long-term lease for the library.
The long term lease would allow it to repair and renew the library preserving it for future generations, and making it function better for artists and communities in Lewisham .
To achieve these goals, the arthouse is currently looking for a project manager/consultant to help lead the initial stages of the project.
The arthouse, which also holds open house heritage events and music events/workshops, works in partnership with a range of community/creative partners including Goldsmiths College, Deptford X, Youth Build, Heart n Soul and Brockley Max.
The Old Deptford Library was designed by the architect Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, who also designed Belfast’s City Hall and Woolwich town hall. Opened on 18 July 1914. It is a grand building with three floors and a footprint of about 1,440m2.
Inside and outside, the building is in a poor condition with major repairs required to the roof, front elevation and to some of the original features including timber parquet flooring, marble staircase and foyer.