The Earls Court Development Company announces the launch of an artist-in-residence community programme

• A rolling residency will allow a series of artists, who specialise in portraiture, and work in a variety of mediums, to create portrait projects with the local community. The artists will also run art classes and workshops for local groups.
• An open call to artists has been issued by The Earls Court Development Company. Artists will be paid £3,000 per month for a three-month residency.
• Artwork created in the programme will be installed around the Earls Court site as a testament to the local community.

The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is launching an artist-in-residence programme, located in their recently opened Community Hub. The ambition is to produce portraiture of, and with, the community to be installed around the Earls Court site. Providing an artistic record of community members who contribute to this remarkable district.

To explore the gamut of approaches to portraiture, ECDC will commission artists working in a range of mediums, styles and from diverse backgrounds. The artists will also host art classes and workshops for the community and contribute to educational talks, supported by the ECDC community team and the National Portrait Gallery.

An independent panel will be shortlisting applications, with the rolling programme due to commence in the autumn. A representative of the National Portrait Gallery will be sat on the interview panel, in addition to other panel members, to be announced in due course. The resident artists will be based in a studio at ECDC’s Community Hub in West Kensington and will be remunerated £3,000 per month. Each residency will last for a period of three months, with a total of four artists per year.

ECDC will provide events, workshops and community engagement support and aim to offer a related programme which will include art history talks discussing key artists and portraits through history, looking at how the portraiture genre has developed and changed over the centuries.

Commenting on the programme Sarah Gaventa, Creative Director of The Earls Court Development Company said:

“We are delighted to be launching this artist-in-residence programme, which we hope will provide a fantastic platform for creatives to showcase their own talent, and our local communities, through a range of different mediums. We are keen to work with artists with a passion in engaging local people and helping them develop their creativity.”

To find out more information and how to apply visit:

www.theearlscourtdevelopmentcompany.com/the-site/artist-in-residence

ENDS

ABOUT THE EARLS COURT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

 The Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) is an Earl’s Court based business, responsible for driving the regeneration of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site, covering around 40 acres, on behalf of the Earls Court Partnership – a joint venture between Delancey (on behalf of its client funds including the Dutch pension fund manager, APG) and Transport for London (TfL) that was formed in December 2019. The first decision we took after acquiring the site was to hand back the West Kensington and Gibbs Green housing estates - originally part of the previous owners’ masterplan - to Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Regeneration of the Earls Court site

We have had thousands of conversations with residents, neighbours and local business about the future of the Earls Court site. In late 2021, we launched our latest phase of consultation, showcasing the priorities that will guide the regeneration of the site. This involved a series of in-person public events, webinars and masterplanning workshops with representatives of the local community, to ascertain their priorities for the emerging masterplan. 

Over the coming months, more detailed plans will be shared with the public, showcased at in-person and virtual events, alongside drop-ins at train stations and markets.

Further information about the consultation, and the latest materials, can be found here.

Early delivery at Earls Court 

ECDC’s site activation programme is central to the early delivery of our commitments both now and for the longer-term masterplan. We have succeeded in opening parts of the Earls Court site to the public for the first time in over a century. 

Since acquiring the site in 2019, we have developed close ties with our neighbours, local businesses and the wider community. Investing in the future of the area forms a core principle of our vision for Earls Court. To date, we have done the following:

• Homes at Empress Place: Refurbished and brought back into use properties along Empress Place, which were left derelict. During the height of the first national lockdown, these were provided as homes for key workers.
• Earls Court Community Fund: Last year, we established a £180,000 a year community fund. In October, grants were awarded to nineteen local organisations, including Dads House, Finborough Theatre, Barons Court Project, Family Friends, and the Earl’s Court Community Trust, to support their work with local communities, young people and those at risk or vulnerable. Applications have now closed for this year’s round of funding, with successful applicants set to be announced in September.

• Warwick Road Apron: We are supporting K+C Art Week for the second year in a row, with Azarra Amoy presenting ‘Stars of Earl’s Court’ at Warwick Road, a huge 39-metre mural celebrating artists, past and present, who lived and worked in the area. It follows last years ‘Pleasure Garden’ installation and forms part of our ongoing cultural and site activation strategy.

• Underbelly at Earls Court: For the second year in a row, we collaborated with Underbelly for a festival showcasing world-class performances and live shows, as well as providing the local community the opportunity to showcase on the bandstand and in the studio – a new, 75-seater event space. After running from May to July this year, we have transformed the site into a free public beach and open-air cinema, alongside street food traders, pop-up bars and games for all ages. It will be open every day from 12pm from July until 3 September.
• Community Hub: We have refurbished the former replacement homes ensuite along Aisgill Avenue into a Community Hub. Opened in June 2022, a dedicated manager is based at the hub, with a range of activities and classes running throughout the week for people of all ages. We hope the space will become a focal point for the community to come together and meet with friends and family.

• Empress Studios: Working in partnership with This is Projekt, we have converted six derelict Victorian townhouses into 8,500 sq. ft of workspace for creatives and innovators within Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. Opened in May 2022, upwards of 30 new workspaces have been created, providing affordable studio and office space for the local arts and science industries.

• Lillie Road: We have turned part of Lillie Road into an active high street, providing opportunities for small businesses and charities, including providing start-up local organisations with the opportunity to create brand awareness at The Pop Up.

• Mannequin Factory: We have recently announced plans to create a temporary visionary immersive theatre in the former Mannequin Factory located in West Kensington. The theatre, operated by The Lost Estate, tells the greatest stories ever told through a fantastical fusion of immersive sets, world-class performances, themed food and drink. It will also give back to the local community, with free tickets, job opportunities, co-working space for local creatives. The Lost Estate will be opening in November with the show - ‘A Christmas Carol’.

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