Since 2021, SET Woolwich has been home to our office and 12 Working-Class Creatives, providing essential studio space in London. SET, a vibrant arts and community organisation, offers affordable workspaces and a dynamic arts program, making it the perfect partner for our residency initiatives.

Our residencies at SET focus on breaking down barriers for creatives, offering long-term access to studio spaces in an environment that fosters creativity and collaboration. In 2023, we expanded our programme to prioritize working-class performers, providing them with a rare opportunity to establish and develop their practice in one place over six months.

Residency Highlights

• A dedicated studio space in the WCCD Studio at SET Woolwich for six months.

• A supportive creative community, encouraging peer exchange, shared insights, and discussions about the challenges faced by working-class performers.

Quote from a previous resident:

"I would like to send a massive thank you hug to WCCD for this opportunity. The music video is the most ambitious thing I’ve ever made, and I had loads of fun making it. Without the residency, it never would have happened. Having a project like this in my portfolio helped me land a production company job, so I owe them that too! It was also nice to become a part of the SET community. I met lovely people during the residency, and now I know I have options if I ever need a space again in the future!"

Gatherings: An Exhibition at SET Woolwich

In August 2023, we proudly curated Gatherings, an exhibition in collaboration with SET Studios, showcasing the works of 28 artists across diverse disciplines. The exhibition opened with a private view on 3 August 2023 and was accessible by appointment until 17 August at SET Woolwich, SE18 6BU.

Gatherings brought together artists working in installation, sculpture, photography, video, and text, creating a space of collaborative belonging. The exhibition explored themes of intimacy, trust, and care within the making process, with muted tones and thoughtful contemplation reflected in the works. A structural rhythm emerged, balancing softness with a profound exploration of the world around us.

We worked with Think Big, Read Community Library who curated a shelf of books from the library selected in response to the themes from the show focusing on Collaborative belonging, Care, Intimacy and Class Struggle.

The response includes writing from:

Jarman - Delaney - CAConrad - H. Gareth Gavin - Ivor Cutler - Bernadette Mayer - Scalpello - Lorde - Flatness - Nelson - (loads) more!

Think Big, Read Community Library is a lending-library in Peckham, South London. It's based within SET Social at 55 Nigel Road, SE15 4NP. It houses a wide selection of books with a core collection of queer and trans literature, poetry and anti-capitalist and anti-carceral writing. It's also home to an archive of Ambit magazine.

Curator and WCCD Director, Seren Metcalfe, shared:"The exhibition showcases the breadth of working-class voices, representing diversities, histories, places, and identities within the working-class experience. Overall, 'Gatherings' presents a collection of deeply personal, delicate, and powerful works.”

This collaboration with SET Studios underscores our shared commitment to amplifying working-class creatives and fostering connections through art.