GLA Cultural & Community Space Register
What is the Space Register?
The Space Register lets us know you want to open a new cultural space or increase the size of an existing one.
Please check that you are eligible before registering by reading the information below.
If your existing space is at-risk, please see the Culture and Communities at Risk team.
Who is the Space Register for?
Organisations eligible for consideration through the Space Register are those who are looking for long-term new or additional space to deliver cultural activities. This includes the ‘production’ of culture (rehearsal, fabrication, making) or the ‘consumption’ of culture (performance, exhibiting, showcasing).
Before registering, please check that you are looking for support to:
develop an idea for long-term cultural space
find a cultural space for an existing idea or organisation
develop an existing cultural space to increase capacity.
We do not offer support to:
individual artists or creatives seeking individual workspaces or studios
office space requests
community or commercial organisations whose primary activity is not cultural
short-term or events space requests.
The priorities for the Space Register
Once the team receives a Space Register submission via the form, we review and consider options for support.
We use a set of priorities to help us determine where best to focus our limited resources and team capacity. These priorities are:
Cultural spaces led by or designed for and/or serve communities historically excluded from accessing and securing cultural space, including Black, Asian and minority ethnic, children and young people, Deaf and disabled people, LBGTQ+, low-income groups and older people.
Projects that deliver innovation and/or meet a cultural space demand that isn’t currently being met.
Projects that provide more of the type of cultural spaces that have reduced in quantity in London, despite ongoing demand as evidenced in the Cultural Spaces Health Check and Cultural Spaces Datanotes.
Projects that deliver improved cultural space environmental sustainability or contribute to net zero through new or expanded premises.
What kind of support could we provide you with?
If your submission meets some of the priorities, we can consider different kinds of support including:
guidance and training to ensure that your organisation is ready to take on space successfully
support with the planning process if you have already identified a space through working with a developer
providing the opportunity to access funding when projects meet multiple of the priorities listed above
making a referral to space opportunities that we are aware of, if your organisation is ready to take on space (e.g. business plan, staffing structure, resource planning that takes space operating into account). Please be aware that such opportunities are limited.
We do not offer:
estate agent-type service for properties on the open market
our own space or buildings
funding to support the rental of space or purchase of buildings
capital funding to fit out or refurbish buildings.
As a reminder, the Space Register is only one potential source of assistance - we encourage you to continue to use your own networks and other sources in your space search. For example, consider contacting your local authority if you haven’t done so already.
Sign up to the Space Register https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/arts-and-culture/space-culture/cultural-infrastructure-plan-and-toolbox/finding-building-or-land/sign-cultural-infrastructure-register