Sarabande Foundation to expand footprint with new studio spaces in north London
Sarabande Foundation – established by Lee Alexander McQueen – will open 15 new studio spaces for artists, craftsmen and designers in the heart of London’s Tottenham in the new year

Sarabande Foundation has just announced plans to expand its footprint in the new year with 15 new studio spaces in Tottenham as part of the borough’s new creative hub, Paxton17.
Established by late visionary fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the Sarabande Foundation has long championed young creative voices who are blazing trails across the creative landscape.
The charitable foundation’s existing headquarters, a listed stable block in Haggerston, opened in 2015 and has since housed more than 130 creatives from 31 countries, offering practical advice and mentoring to talented artists, craftsmen and designers, as well as heavily subsidised studio spaces and free platforms to exhibit work.
Those who have received support from the foundation include fashion designers, performance and digital artists, painters, ceramicists, jewellers, milliners and silversmiths. Among the most noted alumni are menswear designers Craig Green and Bianca Saunders, painter Michaela Yearwood-Dan, engraver and jeweller Castro Smith and photographer Sam Rock.
The expansion, which will house creatives while Sarabande’s permanent Tottenham home is restored a few doors down, will broaden the foundation’s mission to nurture emerging creative talent at vital stages in their careers. As Trino Verkade, founding trustee of Sarabande Foundation, said in a statement, ‘The need for inexpensive artists’ studios is higher than ever. There is also a dearth of practical advice for emerging talent – and Sarabande responds to these issues. Tottenham is recognised as an economically deprived area but one field where it is flourishing is within the creative industries. Sarabande High Road will be a big part of creating a new cultural hub in Tottenham, much like how Peckham has been transformed through its burgeoning art scene.’
In keeping with the theme of historically significant spaces, the new studios will be homed in imposing Georgian townhouses, originally constructed around 1715 to 1720 on Tottenham High Road. Following years of vacancy and neglect, the buildings were made weathertight in 2007 by English Heritage, and will be each let at a nominal £1 per square foot, allowing artists and designers to develop their practices ready for the next leap in their careers.
‘This project will also support local regeneration by restoring and developing historically significant Grade II* Georgian townhouses,’ continues Verkade. ‘Local artists and designers will be given space in the studios and the foundation aims to become an integral part of the community. It also means that local residents will not have to travel into central London to experience cutting-edge art and culture, it will be right there on their doorstep.’
INFORMATION
Harriet Lloyd-Smith is the Arts Editor of Wallpaper*, responsible for the art pages across digital and print, including profiles, exhibition reviews, and contemporary art collaborations. She started at Wallpaper* in 2017 and has written for leading contemporary art publications, auction houses and arts charities, and lectured on review writing and art journalism. When she’s not writing about art, she’s making her own.
-
Volvo EX30 squeezes new materials and world-leading safety into a compact EV
The new Volvo EX30 is the smallest car in Volvo’s range. The full electric SUV provides a compelling mix of forward-thinking interior design with innovative materials and Google technology
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Jewellery artist Lucy Anderson charts a new path in minimalist wearable art
Lucy Anderson plays with abstract geometrical concepts for simple and elegant jewellery pieces
By Mazzi Odu • Published
-
A beachside home in the Dominican Republic is both private retreat and design destination
Arkina Architectural Design has created a vast beachside home for hire on the shores of the Caribbean, carved from concrete and set within a tropical garden
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
‘A temple of love’: Joana Vasconcelos unveils colossal wedding cake sculpture
At Waddesdon Manor, UK, Joana Vasconcelos unveils her ‘impossible project’ Wedding Cake – part sculpture, part architectural garden folly, part pâtisserie
By Daniel Scheffler • Published
-
The best London art exhibitions: a guide for this weekend
Your guide to the best London art exhibitions this weekend, as chosen by the Wallpaper* arts desk
By Harriet Lloyd Smith • Published
-
The art fair personality test: what type of Frieze New York visitor are you?
Are you a selfie seeker or a champagne visualist? Take our art fair personality test to identify yourself at Frieze New York 2023 (17-21 May)
By Harriet Lloyd-Smith • Published
-
Bridget Riley unveils her first ceiling painting for the British School at Rome
Bridget Riley reveals her design for Edwin Lutyens’ ceiling at the British School at Rome
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Inside Stefan Brüggemann’s epic new studio and residency in Ibiza
Stefan Brüggemann’s new Ibiza studio and retreat doesn’t miss a beat. The artist offers us an exclusive look at his creative utopia, designed by Alberto Kalach. Explore more in the June 2023 Travel issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands 11 May
By Emily Steer • Published
-
‘Avedon 100’: cultural stars reflect on the photographer’s boundary-shattering legacy
In a new Gagosian exhibition, ‘Avedon 100’, marking the centenary of Richard Avedon’s birth, leading cultural figures – from Naomi Campbell to Spike Lee – share personal stories on the photographer’s remarkable career
By Sophie Gladstone • Published
-
Isaac Julien’s Tate retrospective: multi-screens, ‘sonic tapestries’ and moments of joy
Artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien’s Tate Britain retrospective ‘What Freedom Is to Me’ questions histories, explores activism, but is also full of joy and beauty
By Amah-Rose Abrams • Published
-
Felicia Honkasalo on creative obsessions, gothic horror, and the sci-fi world of AI photography
Explore the vision of Helsinki-based artist Felicia Honkasalo in ‘Through the lens’, our monthly series spotlighting photographers who are Wallpaper* contributors
By Sophie Gladstone • Published