SET is a contemporary arts organisation and registered charity that transforms vacant buildings across London into spaces for eclectic, experimental culture, collective making, and community.
Founded by three artists in 2016, SET has grown into a series of city-wide centres, shaped and sustained by the communities who inhabit them. Everyone who contributes to SET – Associate Studio Members, the team, local artists and residents – is part of what SET is and does.
Public programme
At the heart of SET is a year-round public programme, co-created with our members and the wider public. Here, day and night culture meet through exhibitions, performances, residencies, workshops, talks, film, live music, DJ sets, literature, social projects, and activism.
The programme provides a platform for artists at all stages, particularly those early and mid-career, while championing experimental, underrepresented, and boundary-pushing work.
Studios and spaces
SET offers some of London’s most affordable studios, and has supported over 1,000 artists across its centres. Alongside workspace, studio holders take part in the Associate Members Programme, giving them access to shared project spaces and workshop areas to help them make and share new work.
We support artists across a wide range of disciplines, from performance and installation to music, sound, print, textiles, and more. All income from studios is reinvested into operations and programming, ensuring long-term affordability and stability for artists to sustain their practice.
Alongside studios, some of our centres are multi-purpose, including:
- SET Social, our arts and social members club
- SET 91, our first in-house curated gallery
- SET Ceramics, offering studios with educational courses
These venues host most of our programme, connecting artists and audiences for collaboration and shared experiences.
Advocacy and purpose
Beyond providing studios and programming, SET also advocates for artists and communities across the city. In partnership with cultural organisations and London’s Affordable Artists’ Studio Network (LAASN), we work to safeguard affordable space and widen access to the arts.
As a registered charity, SET’s purpose is the advancement of the arts for public benefit. We do this by supporting grassroots artistic production, nurturing artists’ communities, and keeping space for culture open and alive for everyone.
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Reg charity no. 1170903