SET is thrilled to announce the opening of SET Vauxhall, a 140,000 sqft arts centre at Camelford House on the Thames.
With more than 250 studios for over 600 artists, alongside project areas, a café, and communal areas, this will be one of the largest artist-led cultural spaces in London, built for collaboration, experimentation, and community.
Affordable, accessible, and artist-led
SET Vauxhall will, like all SET centres, grow from our ethos of social justice and our belief that the arts should be for everyone. Studios are some of the most affordable in Central London, priced at £1.60 per sqft PCM inclusive of rates, utilities, and Wi-Fi, with spaces from 100–900 sq ft and prices starting at just £170 PCM.
This is a pivotal moment for SET – and that’s why we’re calling on our SET community, and the wider London art scene, to help make it happen.
By opening the studios early, we’re inviting artists to join us from the very start. Every studio rented now helps fund the phased build, cover early running costs, and, most importantly, keep SET independent. That independence means we can continue our mission: creating affordable, inclusive, and accessible spaces that put artists and local voices at the heart of London’s cultural life.
Early members will move into open-plan studios immediately with internal partitions in place. Over time, doors, front walls, and shared facilities will be added floor by floor.
Full fit-out is expected by Spring 2026, and early members will have guaranteed workspace until 2028, helping shape a culture from day one.
Sign up to our waitlist
Rooted in South London, open to London
While SET Vauxhall will welcome our existing SET community, this new chapter is about opening our doors wider. Designed to be rooted in the local area, the centre serves Lambeth, Wandsworth, Southwark, and Westminster, as well as people across London.
Half of all studios are aimed to be reserved for artists, collectives, and community groups from these boroughs, ensuring affordable, secure space for those living and working locally.
Lambeth Council has welcomed the initiative.
“Lambeth Council is excited to see this new affordable workspace for artists opening in Vauxhall which builds on our commitment to supporting Lambeth’s creative community,” says Councillor Marcia Cameron, Cabinet Member for Economic Inclusion at Lambeth Council.
She adds, “This speaks directly to our ambitions outlined in the Lambeth Growth Plan and our upcoming Creative Economy Strategy to increase affordable workspace, grow our creative industries and protect what makes Lambeth unique.”
To ensure our work reflects the voices of those around us, SET will also launch a Community Advisory Group made up of local artists, educators, and organisations. Supported by our dedicated Community Officers and Programming team, this group will help inform programming, events, and shared spaces, ensuring the centre truly reflects the ideas and needs of the communities it serves.
We want SET Vauxhall to be a home for the local and wider London arts communities. Artists and locals will have the opportunity to inform, participate in and contribute to everything we do here.
Taking what worked to new heights
SET Vauxhall builds on the success of SET Woolwich, which opened in 2021 under a four-and-a-half-year lease and recently closed. Woolwich, a 140,000 sq ft centre, became home to over 600 artists and demonstrated how affordable studios, an expansive programme and community life could thrive under one roof, hosting a café, garden, foodbank, and the celebrated SET Vault performance venue.
At Vauxhall, we’re reimagining this idea across 14 floors, combining affordable studios with participatory programming, exhibition spaces, and uniquely, SET Social Vauxhall, a sister space to SET Social Peckham.
Opening alongside the studios, the new SET Social will provide a community space for workshops, performances, festivals, and social connection – all artist-led, inclusive, and affordable.
Aiming for completion by Spring 2026, early members will be part of shaping the culture of the centre, making it a true community-led space from the start.
Supporting London’s cultural vision
SET Vauxhall directly aligning with the Mayor of London’s Artists’ Workspace Programme, part of the Culture and Good Growth strategy, which seeks to protect and expand affordable studios for emerging artists.
But it’s more than policy: it’s about artists creating, collaborating, and building together.
“Every year, we send a new group of talented graduates into the art world. But with the cost of living and working spaces rising, accessible and affordable studios aren’t just helpful anymore; they’re essential to sustaining creative futures,” says Fraser Scarfe, Head of Education Delivery at the Royal Drawing School and SET Studio member.
“SET Vauxhall will be unparalleled in its ability to provide these essential spaces, nurturing talent and building cultural growth in London. In my practice, I now have the rare peace of mind that comes from having a stable and affordable studio, whilst also feeling part of a valued artist community where my practice is supported and my presence matters.”
The studios are available now, and joining at this stage really matters. Every artist who takes a studio is helping fund the build, the facilities, and the events that will define this space for years to come.
Circular, low-impact, and sustainable
The build aims to be guided by a low-impact, circular approach, reusing materials from previously closed SET centres wherever possible. Donations of partitions, timber, paint, fixtures, and other reusable materials will directly support the phased build and help maintain affordable rents.
Creating cultural centres shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet. By working with sustainable organisations to repurpose materials, we can reduce waste and keep studios accessible for the artists who need them most.
Get in touch to donate materialsBlended rents for organisations
Alongside affordable studios for artists and community groups, SET Vauxhall is also welcoming charities and larger community or arts organisations to take office space in the building.
Around 5,000 sq ft has been set aside for organisations who can contribute a little more, helping to keep studios accessible for those who need them most, while building a diverse, collaborative community across all 14 floors.
If your organisation is interested, you can read the full offer below.
Learn moreSign up to the SET Vauxhall studio waiting list
Affordable art and cultural spaces in London are disappearing fast. SET Vauxhall represents a major step in protecting and expanding these spaces at a time of urgent need.
Since launching studio sign-ups, we’ve had an incredible response from artists across London. All public viewing slots for SET Vauxhall are now full.
Many thanks to everyone for such an amazing show of support.
While we don’t currently have any available studios, you can add your name to the waiting list if you’d like to stay updated in case anything changes in the future.
Sign up to our waitlist