A new beginning, in the middle of things 

When SET Woolwich opened in early 2021, it was part of a broader story unfolding across London: the activation of disused spaces under short-term ‘meanwhile use’ leases. 

As development plans ticked along in the background, SET took over the former office block. The aim, in typical SET fashion, was ambitious: to combine genuinely affordable artists’ studios with a public arts programme, grassroots community initiatives, and an experimental music venue, all under one roof. 

“It was a step change,” says SET Director Roland Fischer-Vousden. “Woolwich operated on a completely different scale to any of our other spaces. It allowed us the opportunity to create platforms that simply weren’t possible before.”  

Over its lifespan, the building provided over 250 studios for more than 600 artists. The majority (60%) of whom were based locally across Greenwich, Lewisham, and Southwark. 

Studio rents were some of the most affordable in London, starting from £10.80 per sqft a year (including electricity) to £13.20 as energy costs rose.  

SET also awarded 18 free studios to artists through its Studio Prize scheme, and provided rent-free space to 15 grassroots groups, including D Namaste, Mama 2 Mama and Black Fly Zine. These groups used the building for everything from mentoring schemes to live publishing, workshops and community events.  

Opening night: SET Woolwich comes to life 

In September 2021, after months of preparation, SET Woolwich officially launched with a sprawling, late-night event combined with its fifth birthday celebration. Over 300 members, performers, locals, and friends roamed the building, capturing the full breadth of what the space could be. 

“It was just after the pandemic, at a time when there was a real need for togetherness and space beyond working from your bedroom,” recalls Ellie Dobbs, SET’s Curator and Programme Coordinator. 

“Our opening party reflected that energy,” she continues. “It was exciting to move from floor to floor, encountering the different creative practices that had sprung up behind every door.” 

At the heart of the opening was Underlay, a sculptural installation by studio prize-winner Catriona Robertson. Constructed from office carpet tiles, window foil, and soil, it transformed the lobby into a strange new landscape. 

“Underlay felt like the building digesting its own history,” says Ellie. “Like pulling its insides out for everyone else to see.” 

The piece became a stage for live interventions, including a fashion-led performance by artist and fellow prize-winner, Mona Cordes. Elsewhere, musicians and DJs like Patrick Cole activated hidden corners of the building with sound and movement that stretched into the early hours.  

That first night sparked a new beginning: SET Woolwich was more than just studios. It was a site for creative collisions. 

A home for artist-led experimentation 

As part of SET’s wider ethos around accessibility and inclusivity, artists in and around its spaces are encouraged to shape its public arts programme, which runs on two key strands: the Associate Members’ scheme and SET Projects.  

While the Associate Members’ scheme invites studio holders the chance to independently curate events and exhibitions, SET Projects, led by the SET Team, offers residencies, commissions and collaborative opportunities to the wider public.

“Our Associate Members’ Programme aims to be genuinely artist-led,” says Ellie. “It’s about giving artists a place where they can try something out without needing to have it all figured out. That’s where the most interesting work happens.” 
 
That ethos came alive on the building’s fourth floor, which evolved into a self-directed curatorial space. One highlight was in 2022, where Woolwich studio prize-winners curated Toppling, a group exhibition accompanied by new writing from Rhoda Adum Boateng and a design by Eleni Papazoglou.  

Just weeks later, artists Cristiano Di Martino and Conor Ackhurst staged The Worm at the Core – a sprawling, existential show on the subject mortality, featuring over 70 works by 30 artists. The exhibition was well attended and even featured on several best exhibitions of the year lists. 

In 2022, SET also partnered with Sheffield DocFest, hosting a Woolwich edition of the festival’s Alternate Realities exhibition in SET Vault.  

The show featured work by Duncan Marquiss, David Haxton, and The School of Mutants collective. On opening night, studio prize-winner Eleni Papazoglou debuted 18/4120/PN2, a text-based response to Haxton’s 1981 video Painting Room Lights, created especially for the occasion. 

“That collaboration really stood out,” says Ellie Dobbs. “DocFest brought people into the Vault who’d never stepped foot in the building before. It sparked conversations about film, tech, and installation in a way that felt really open and collaborative.” 

As part of the public programme, community group prize-winners Foreign Body Productions also led a filmmaking session for young creatives in the local area, extending the exhibition’s reach beyond traditional art audiences. 

According to Ellie, Woolwich became a blueprint for what SET’s programme – and its community – could be. 
 
“Yes, it brought staff together under one roof for the first time. But more than that, it created the conditions for all kinds of chance encounters – in the kitchen, the garden, bar, smoking area, dancefloor – that led to collaboration and community building.” 

“I think those kinds of encounters, and that sense of togetherness, are what make the space so special – and the arts programme is all about facilitating that.” 

A community space, inside and out  

Beyond exhibitions, Woolwich nurtured a culture of everyday care. In early 2021, SET Community Prize winners Sandwich Club, together with Associate Member Els Jennings, turned the building’s disused car park into a community garden.  

Working with support from the wider SET team, the garden grew into a welcoming space for workshops, relaxation, and spontaneous encounters. Els Jennings painted a mural that stretched across the back wall, while artist Chloe Solomon ran regular garden workshops and helped maintain the space. 

Soon after, the Community Café emerged – a studio member-led project offering free lunches, particularly on Thursdays, to anyone who needed it.  

First launched during Open Studios in 2021, it quickly became a weekly fixture. Local residents dropped in not just for food, but for conversations, company, or a moment of calm.  

“Thinking back to the conversations I had at the Community Café, you realise how a space like this can mean so many things to different people,” says SET Director Roland Fischer-Vousden.  

“For some people it was about a hot meal. For others, it was just about being in a space where they felt welcome.” 

In November 2022, artist Alice Fraser responded to the rising cost of living by launching a small food bank inside the building. Stocked by donations and supported by volunteers, it provided essentials to around 20 people a week and helped connect the garden with SET’s broader public projects. 

To learn more about our Community Canteen, listen to the special episode of All Purpose Filla.

Listen to All Purpose Filla

From Dalston to the Vault 

Before Woolwich, there was SET Dalston, our first home for live music and performance, active from 2018 until its closure in late 2022. When the lease ended due to redevelopment, we lost a beloved venue. But a new rhythm was already taking shape further south. 

SET Woolwich opened in 2021, and though early events ran on temporary events notices, the space quickly found its footing. After Dalston closed, the Woolwich’s former HMRC vault, later known as SET Vault, became the centre for experimental music, performance and community-led nights. 

The building played a defining role. With thick concrete walls and low ceilings, it created a soundproofed and intimate space, offering acoustics rarely found in London. This unique space offered musicians, performers and participants a safe and welcoming environment to connect and create, while also carrying forward SET’s commitment to night culture, electronic music, and DJs as key elements of its arts programme. 

This interest in nurturing night culture within a supportive community shaped much of SET’s programming. In early 2023, SET launched SUBSET, a new night curated by Founder and Director, Josh Field. It focused on live experimental sets and dance music, with performances by Associate Members and guest artists. The event marked a shift for the Vault, attracting a growing audience of musicians, dancers and listeners. 

“It was a pleasure to shape a nightlife space that prioritised music over entertainment and community over turnover,” says Josh. 

 “Every artist involved loved one another’s sets — it felt like everyone was in it together. That spirit lies at the heart of SET; it’s our foundation and our fabric. We’ll no doubt be channelling it into another venue space soon.”  

Alongside curated nights like SUBSET, the Vault became a platform for member events, including ROAM, TIDES, and SELCHP Recordings. 

The rebirth of Vault 

Midway through 2023, Annie Dermawan joined as Venue Manager and helped usher in a new phase. 

Working closely with the team, she led efforts to refurbish the space, improve access and facilities, and became a key player in event management and operations. Former office rooms were repurposed into welfare areas and cloakrooms, raising the quality of both production and care behind the scenes. 

But for Annie, it was the culture of the space that stood out. 

“At SET Vault we had the pleasure of incubating a wide variety of new events and ideas,” she says. “Being part of that and experiencing the beauty and joy firsthand was unforgettable.” 

Unlike many London venues, SET Vault didn’t follow a commercial model. With a small dancefloor paired with a large, open space for performances and rest, alongside a thriving community garden, Annie describes the space as a rare presence in London’s nightlife. 

“In this city, space is money and that can be felt in most London venues,” Annie explains. “SET Vault was different. It gave people hope that music and art in London could be experienced in another way,” she says.  
 
“This venue gave me something that nowhere else in the city could — as it did to countless others too.” 

It was through that openness and sense of possibility that Annie launched her own club night, SLIVER – a celebration of trance-techno, particularly aimed at the FLINTA+ and queer communities. 

Queer life has always been central to the Vault’s identity, shaped by a strong safer spaces policy and an ongoing collaboration with Safe Only, who provided security and welfare services.  

“SET Vault was always defined as a queer space,” says Annie. “We made that explicit – in our partnerships, in our approach to safety, and in the community that built itself around the venue. It was about fostering an environment where anyone could be themselves, so long as they’re respectful of the people around them.” 

“From perreo to house, techno to trance, the audience didn’t come from genres alone. They came through consistent collaboration with artists and organisers across London’s queer scenes.  

Among these events are Tech Couture, Eerste Communie, SEXTOU, Structure, Meanwhile, Fragment, and SLIVER. 

As SET Woolwich prepares to close, Annie reflects on what was built and what might still be possible. 

“I feel proud of what we built and sad it was cut short,” Annie says. 
 
“But I hope SET Vault gets to return, reincarnated. A new version of itself, with the same heart. A chance to keep building spaces that centre care, creativity, and good sound—and to show this city that there’s still another way.” 

What comes next  

SET Woolwich will officially shut in September 2025, in line with the building’s meanwhile use lease. While its closure was expected, it still comes as a bittersweet surprise, marking the end of something significant.  

“It represents what we care about,” Roland says. “Genuine affordability in cultural infrastructure. Space for grassroots organising. A place where compassion and creativity can shape each other.” 

He continues: “It also showed how much can happen in a short time. As a meanwhile site, we knew this wasn’t a long-term project. But it made a real difference to people’s lives. That’s something we want to keep doing, for as long as we can do it with integrity and purpose.” 

SET continues to operate 10 sites across London, with plans for new spaces underway. 

“This chapter is ending,” Roland says. “But what we learned in Woolwich – how to build something real, quickly, with care and collaboration – that stays with us.” 

A thank you to everyone who make SET Woolwich what it was 

From members, artists and community organisers to everyone in the SET Team, contractors, bar staff, front of house, cleaners, caretakers, and every visitor who brought the building to life – you built SET Woolwich. 

Thank you x