After getting an Oscars shoutout at the weekend, the mood in Dalston’s cultural corridor should be triumphant. Instead, a group of creatives in the same artistic hub are racked with fear about their future.
Dozens of artists working in V22 Ashwin Street, a studio that has long been a space for developing talent, have been told to vacate the building by the end of the month. Hackney council, which owns the site, says this is because it is unsafe for those inside.
The building is situated down a bendy side road, behind McDonald’s on Dalston’s high street. The unremarkable approach expands into a bright mashup of bold, artistic buildings. Among them is Cafe Oto, which sits near the soon-to-be shuttered studios.
The coffee shop and performance venue, which is the beating heart of the local creative community, was namechecked on the Dolby Stage in Hollywood after the composer Daniel Blumberg won the Academy Award for best score.
Those who could be forced to leave Ashwin Street say the success of Blumberg, who was a regular face in the area, as well as his affectionate words for the cafe, show the value of keeping creative spaces open.
“That Oscar mention really exemplifies how much of a creative community there is here,” said the artist Leon Scott-Engel. “One of the UK’s largest industries is the creative industry and we are celebrated for what we output. But a lot of people forget that to create something you need space to make it.”
The 25-year-old painter attested to the financial challenges faced by young artists. “You’re renting a studio that costs almost the same amount as a flat. When you’re newly emerging and juggling part-time work it’s a struggle,” he added. “We’re all struggling with trying to relocate somewhere that’s affordable.”
Scott-Engel is a fairly new arrival to the building, but painter Ansel Krut, 65, is a veteran, having worked in the studios for 15 years. For him, the reality of being forced out of Dalston is sad, but not surprising.
“The situation with artists is: we find affordable workspace, and then at some point, the area becomes more sought-after and we get kicked out,” he said.
Krut has lived in Hackney for 35 years. “When I moved into this little corner of Dalston, the area was kind of desolate and a little derelict,” he said. “Over the years, it’s become what Hackney likes to call Dalston’s cultural quarter.”
He believes that artists contribute to the local economy in ways that raw numbers fail to track.
“A lot of the artists in the studios are associated with things like teaching in the area, having their work exhibited locally and supporting local shops. All that sort of thing,” he said.
Hackney has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years over regeneration in Dalston, which has undergone heavy gentrification since the 2000s. Nearby Ridley Road market has been at the heart of campaigns to keep it out of developers’ hands.
Kei Yoshino, 40, has already found herself at a loss due to rampant redevelopment in the area. Shortly before Covid, she was evicted from her studios above Ridley Road market.
“I’ve been working on this career for 10 to 15 years, but I might have to consider ending it,” said the set designer and prop stylist for luxury brands. The nature of her work means she cannot follow in the footsteps of others who have relocated to creative enclaves on the south coast, such as Margate and Hastings.
“We have a very early call-time, usually at about 7am,” she said. “I have to come to my studio before that to collect my stuff to bring it to the shoots, which are usually in central London. Moving outside of London is not a workable option, neither is moving away from this area. I have all my suppliers in the area.”
Hackney council said the Ashwin Street building could not be sustained without significant investment and must be vacated because of significant health and safety risks. It added that it had been working with V22’s studio manager to find alternative space for the artists.
V22 says it has consistently obtained all necessary safety certificates, to ensure a safe working environment in Ashwin Street. It said that it was “devastated” by the decision to evict the artists by the April 2025 deadline imposed by the council.
