I WE CREATE

Art & Craft Studios

Spaces for Painting, Making, Photography and Rehearsals. We hire to Individuals or Groups for Projects or Workshops. Available for Short or Longer Terms.

I We Create is a part of 'Cicul' A unique Eco-System of symbiotically linked Installations. It is a new venture that has evolved from changes in the local social demographic and their requirements and also from changes forced upon the creative sector during and after the global pandemic.

The Studios and surrounding areas are a Living Sculpture. They are Artist led designs and craft pieces in their own right. Designed and hand built by Artist Designer, Adam Ge-Saelis. The handbuilt spaces have evolved and been reconfigured multiple times using a 'Slow Architecture Philosophy' approach to the project. Now each newly configured space will have decorative elements added to them bringing both a sculpural vision and a biophillic presence that makes each one truly unique.

It is a separate project to some of the other ventures that have existed at Park Mews and it's set up offers creative facilities for an ever changing clientele. The Studios are not like any other.

After joining as a member to our Creative Club, various Studios, Rooms and Workshops can be hired. These can be for Fine Art, Craft Making, Theatre & Set Design, Illustration, Graphics, Writing, Music & Sound, Theatre & Film Production, or Group Workshops, Creative Classes, Rehearsals for Music or Acting, Meetings & Conferences.

Within 'Circul' all the owners projects and businesses have a Profound Environmental Ethos. We ask those that hire spaces at 'I We Create', to fit around our current and standing Non-Toxic working practices, and have an understanding of the current environmental situation, of our city and of the wider world. We will provide initial training at a Studio Induction and offer an environmental evaluation of each new members practice and help with adapting to our set up.

Only Non-Toxic products are allowed to be brought on site. We neither want the person working to be polluted from their practices or the environment polluted by the consequences of their work.

Any product that is Carcinogenic or as some are labeled ; 'may harm the unborn child' are banned from the premises and we believe should be restricted from use by those that are not in an industrial setting with factory type controls.

Resins, chemical solvents and anything in a spray can are prohibited. Paints containing Cadmium & Cobalt, others containing other dangerous chemicals and any product that has harmful constituents are banned from use on site. This includes white spirit and similar. We have managed to find replacements for nearly all commercially available art products and materials and a safe solvent we used to import from America is now available in the UK. MSDS data sheets are referenced for each new product and checked for toxicity, dangers to human health and the enviroment.

We pride ourselves on being a 'Safe Space' for pregnant women, those with babies, people wishing to start a family and the immune compromised. All these members of society need a clean and chemical free zone so that they or their future offspring do not come into contact with toxic items.

Art and Crafts, that have lasted for hundreds, and sometimes thousands of years, were made with natural things before the advent of Petrochemicals and these processes can be used now as they were before. This gives work a similar content to Archival and Ancient items and an essential connection to the past which is much needed in in our modern throw away society.

We are the only Non-Toxic & Environmentally Concious, Circular Economy Arts Building in the world. All water is reused multiple times and then when unuseable stored in drums for filtering or dehydrating. Nothing goes down our drains in the waste water system. Even Acrylic paints are highly toxic to the enviroment as they are made from micro-plastics. Some of our artists now use dehydrated waste paint water to create new unique bases and colours.

We encourage the use of recycled products in Art and Craftwork and also in Textiles, Fashion, Stage and Theatre Design. The whole of the Park Mews project has been refurbished with more that 99% Reclaimed materials.

We have a connected business that provides recycled materials, furniture, film props and an on site making workshop (in construction), that can offer a additional diamension to individuals practices.

On site is our constantly expanding, and growing in size with an adjoining Urban Farm project. This also been created with waste materials and containers discarded from local businesses and filled with hundreds of tons of compost we have produced.

We are Carbon Negative. The project has been built using thousands of tons of reclaimed materials, which in essence is thousand of tons of embodied carbon. By additional insulation and upgrading works throughout the winter we hope to be able to stay permanently Net Zero and we will be offering Carbon Bonds in the near future.

We ask all that come and work here to have an understanding of the current environmental situation and to create their own environmental policy if they haven't already. We can help advise on this if required.

By working within these frameworks individuals practices can also have a lower carbon footprint and it adds a dimension to sales as prospective arts buyers and clients are also seeking a more enviromentally consious product or service.

Studios are hired for a fixed term, from a day, weeks and up to 6 months. We can hire for short term use for group workshops or creative meetings or if someone needs to finish a piece they cannot do from home, complete degree work or to prep for an exam. Bookings can be made two months in advance.

A barter system is offered to some Members where they can work on site in return for a larger space that their budget allows or if they are having financial difficulties. We try to be as flexible as possible and especially welcome those that live close to us and encourage those that need to make a change from home work after the pandemic.

I We Create runs an Equal Opportunities Policy believe everyone is equal regardless of their race, background, gender or choice of the way they live their lives. We are a Non-Political building and therefore do not provide space for politicaly charged artists and those that use a doctirine that may separate themselves or others from their own individual perspectives.

The Mews and it’s environs also exists as ‘Conflict Free Zone”. This means that conflict issues whether personal or political must be left at the gate. There is enough conflict in this world with constant wars and political turmoil. It is difficult to stop all these troubles but here we can exist for a while without being constantly reminded. This may be the first “Conflict Free Zone’ In the world and we hope that by setting this example others will follow. We do not take anyone’s side & believe in No War and Only Peace.

This is not a work set up that suits everybody but those that 'get it' will find its setting and principles right for them to create, work, develop and grow in.

We also run as a Not For Profit part of the premises, ploughing any profits back into the fabric of the building and to improve facilities.

There is a linked Gallery, separate Event Facilities, the Urban Farm, Bio-Diversity projects and other interesting features connected sybiotically to this unique site. An Entertainments program & Members evenings are starting later this year with Open Studio days and a showroom for work made on site.

Events this year will include The London Festival of Architecture, 'Studio Opens' a lighting installation from TheLondonMine & a showroom for artists working on site.

Spaces can be hired during our regular hours listed below and at other times by special arrangement.

We currently have 39 member artists and are in the process of refurbishment, creating space for another 21 over the next few months.

Statement from the mangement : We cannot please everyone and recently people have taken to put bad reviews on line. Our Hire and Membership agreements are fixed after signing and all payments are non-refundable. This is clearly stated in both agreements. We do not have the funds to make payments at whim and are just surviving as a business since the pandemic. We hope that those that enquire in the future come and see for themselves rather that take some angry and disgruntled reviews as reason not to visit. They can meet many happy artists that extend their hire periods, others that come back repetedly and some others that move around the building finding new spaces to suit their ever developing projects. We are always happy to accomodate the evolving practices of each individual artist.

Our Equal Opportunities and GDPR policies are available on request.

Our office hours vary so please email or call and leave a message so we can arrange a viewing or discuss hire options.

We are next to Brockwell Park and equidistant from Brixton Market & The Dulwich Picture Gallery.

Calls with I We Create are recorded for training and management purposes.