Who are we?

Our artist run ceramic studio, which has thrived in the heart of Dalston for over 30 years, is under threat from re-development . 

Glebe Road Studios started life in 1980s in a unique Victorian warehouse as a production workshop. In 2005 a collective of professional ceramicists acquired the workshop and it became a springboard for numerous successful ceramic artists to exhibit, to fulfil specialist commissions, to teach or to work as technicians. 

Glebe Rd Studios opens its doors to the public twice per year to showcase our creativity. We play a valuable part in contributing to what makes Dalston and London an exciting place for the creative industries. 

The future of our ceramic studio is threatened due to our landlord’s decision to sell the property at a time of huge rent rises for workspaces and rapid gentrification locally. The proposed purchaser is a development company which has offered us a tenancy with no security of tenure and which can be ended at any time on 4 week’s notice.  

We have rejected the offer, and made counter-proposals, but we face a potentially very expensive legal battle to resist planning permission to change the use of the building and to prove our security of tenure with the right to adequate notice and compensation if the building is ultimately to be redeveloped.  We need legal support to assert our rights and to ensure that the building survives as a thriving, affordable ceramic studio.  

Timeline:

• In late 2018 our landlord informed us verbally of his intention to sell Glebe Road Studios 
• Our landlord instructed his lawyer to negotiate a sale but to keep us on as tenants for only one year.   
• March 2019: Glebe Rd studios received a proposed new 12 month tenancy, which had been prepared by the purchasers’ solicitors, but which could be ended any time earlier on 4 weeks notice. 
• March 2019: Having sought guidance from Hackney Council we were advised to seek professional advice from a qualified lawyer before signing. 
• April 2019: a solicitor was engaged by Glebe Rd Studios who advised that we had been offered a lease without security of tenure or rights to renew. 
• April 2019: we were informed that the terms were non-negotiable and that if unacceptable, everyone would need to vacate the property.  
• May 2019: we instructed our solicitor to contact the buyer to asserts our  rights as tenants and to try to negotiate improved tenancy terms 

What’s the next step for our legal case? 

To avoid litigation we are now negotiating with the buyers to try and achieve a secure affordable lease. This involves constant dialogue between both parties and incurs substantial but necessary costs.  If negotiation fails we face an even more costly legal battle to oppose planning permission for a change of the building’s existing use and to defend our right to continue in occupation as existing tenants. 

We have already paid a considerable amount of money to fight our case so far. We now have insufficient funds to proceed with the next stage and so we are now asking for your help.

What would happen if we win? Why should you pledge? 

If Glebe Rd Studios was successful in negotiating a fair, secure and binding lease, we would continue to operate as a valuable and successful creative industry within Hackney. We would continue to offer community workshops, develop our creative business connections and offer bespoke beautiful crafts to the wider community. The legacy would continue and give an increasingly vanishing craft a much-needed boost in profile; allowing ceramicists the opportunity to create and the public to enjoy and invest in the beautiful work that is generated from Glebe Road Studios. 

Your pledge would mean: 

• We would cover all our essential legal costs. 
• We could stay in the studio for a secure contracted period. 
• Our production and creativity can continue to thrive. 
• Your pledge will allow us to stay as a collective. 

As you may appreciate this issue has been incredibly trying and time consuming. This has affected both our production and wellbeing and has taken a considerable amount of time to build our case. Your pledge will mean so much to Glebe Road as it would alleviate the financial pressures and give us certainty and peace of mind. 

Thank you.