South Kilburn Studios

South Kilburn Studios was created in 2011 by The Architecture Foundation, together with Practice Architecture, the South Kilburn Neighbourhood Trust and Brent Council.  

Conceived by Practice Architecture and delivered by The Architecture Foundation, this project saw the transformation of a disused portacabin in South Kilburn, London into a series of studio spaces available to those in the creative industries.

Home to thirteen creative start-up companies, the tenants of South Kilburn Studios pledge - in lieu of rent payments - to train a local young person, helping them learn the skills of their profession.  

It is envisaged that trainees work two afternoons a week with their tenant mentor over a six month period producing a strong portfolio of work that will aid their search for employment in their chosen field.  The project is a response to the high level of of youth unemployment in Brent and the lack of a strong creative community in this part of the Borough.

Initially intended as a meanwhile project lasting just six months, the Studios have since been extended and are still in existence today over a year since their creation.  Due to the Studios success, Brent Council have committed to fund the project until 2013 with the possibility of further extension.

As of October 2011 The Architecture Foundation handed over the day to day management of the studios to Caren Owen, one of the founding tenants of the space, who now runs the Studios and continues the framework set in place including the curation of weekly workshops and monthly open studios in order to increase public engagement with the project.

In 2012 The Architecture Foundation launched a publication, South Kilburn Studios: Notes on an Experiment, documenting the setting up of the Studios including essays by those who made the project possible and including some lessons learnt and issues to consider for those interested to learn from this pilot project.  

For further information on the Studios including information on the programme of existing workshops and open studios as well as information on how to become a tenant or a trainee please visit the South Kilburn Studios website and follow the project on facebook here.

Image copyright Mike Massaro