‘The Heartspace’ studios within Hackney Downs Studios is a shared occupancy scheme with creatives being allocated a semi-open plan studio according to their discipline. An overall space of around 3000 sq ft with plenty of natural light, ventilation, a communal seating area, tea station and access to a roof terrace, studios are affordably priced allowing creatives a workspace without compromising on security. Beautiful and inspiring in its own right we believe it is the perfect space to situate this scheme.
With around 37 studios in total, the space houses a range of creatives and makers from writers, photographers, painters, and illustrators to costume designers, stylists and a fashion PR company.
We aim to provide creatives a real platform to pursue their practice and aim to have a minimum of two exhibitions/open studio events per year. We encourage and support the network between Residents as well as the energy and dynamism created by the degree of openness of the working environment.
The Heartspace studios are now fully occupied. For availability/waiting list please contact with CVs/links to work.
Current residents:
ANTITHESIS
Antithesis is a slow fashion womenswear label with UK production. It uses multi-functional and modular design to lend versatility, functionality and longevity to beautifully crafted, high quality fashion garments.
www.antithesis.co
BENJAMIN BARFOOT: FREELANCE DIRECTOR / EDITOR / AFTER EFFECTS
Ben has worked professionally since 1999 for clients such as BBC, Channel4, MTV, Vice, Saatchi & Saatchi, AMVBBDO, Sony, etc plus a heap of smaller production companies. He has edited film trailers, been channel editor for MTV2, directed virals and documentaries for TV, filmed Chamonix snowboarders and Egyptian revolutionaries and produced a bucket load of graphical animations. He was a finalist for the Broadcast Young Talent Awards and selected for both Rushes Shorts and Raindance Festival for short films he has directed. He can handle projects from design to post and has all his own kit.
www.cargocollective.com/benjaminbarfoot/Showreel-2011
CHARLOTTE WAINWRIGHT : FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR / GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Charlotte works on a wide range of projects from digital branding and logos to hand-painted commissions on ceramics. Her beautiful new range of illustrated beetle mugs are now available for sale on her website.
CHLOE EDWARDS: PHOTOGRAPHER / MAKER
Chloe creates still life portraits exploring the narrative of the everyday alongside innovative design from pre loved products. Her current projects and constant obsessions include giant camera obscuras and Japanese book binding exploring the humble envelope. She’ll soon be launching Hackney Downs very own darkroom from which she’ll run B/W and pinhole tuition and facilities hire.
www.chloeedwardsphotography.co.uk
DAVID ALEXANDER: WRITER / FILMMAKER
DOUGLAS NICOLSON: ARTIST / EDUCATOR
Douglas works with all forms of photographic processes and is at present developing a body of work exploring antique darkroom printing techniques with medium and large format negatives taken with vintage cameras. Alongside working on personal projects and exhibiting in the UK and overseas he has developed socially engaged art projects with the Fiji Arts Council, made artwork with inmates in a prison in the UK, children in a Romanian homeless shelter, young offenders in East London, young people at risk in Mozambique, residents in a psychiatric hospital and communities living with HIV/AIDS in the UK and Kenya.
www.douglasnicolson.wordpress.com
ESTHER SABETPOUR: PHOTOGRAPHER
As a graduate of the former ‘London College of Printing,’ Esther has been running a wedding photography business “Unique Marriage of Cultures” for the past 7 years. They cover Asian and British weddings, specialising in cross cultural wedding coverage. A balance of natural reportage, art directed shots and classic portraiture are fused together through out a wedding day. Her personal photographic practice has continued since she graduated in 2003, it incorporates the themes of self image, identity, performance and the body. She works both digital and traditional medium and regularly collaborate with practitioners of a similar subject matter. She regularly exhibits work and runs a photography collective which also has this focus.
www.esthersabetpour.wordpress.com
HANNAH ALICE: ILLUSTRATOR / SURFACE PATTERN AND SPACE DESIGNER
Hannah is a freelance Illustrator, surface pattern and space designer based in East london. She creates a mixture of surface patterns, screen prints, textiles, identities, apparel & products for people and spaces. Hannah has worked in both the UK and in Hong Kong working with a variety of international clients such as, Paperchase, Moma, Gap inc, Jcrew, Nike, Piccalilly, Marks & Spencer, Anna Thomas, Target, Spek, Mambo, Animal, Calvin Klein, Carters, Built and Bonds. She is also part of a collective called Hey Day where she creates limited screen printed prints and products.
HOLLY McCULLOCH: PROP STYLING AND ART DIRECTION
Holly designs and makes handcrafted props and sets for shoots in areas of editorial, advertising, moving image, window displays, and events. She is also available for freehand illustration and visualisation for the design/ planning stages of a project.
INGRID CHARLES
Ingrid has been an English teacher, a poet, a journalist, a (not good at waiting) waitress, but always, always a writer. Her first novel, Under A Hackney Sky, was published in 2010 and her first feature script is currently in development.
ISABEL PINA FERREIRA: FINE ARTIST
www.cargocollective.com/raquelandisabel
IT’S NICE TO BE NICE
A collaboration between product designers Gemma Roper and Sophie Borch-Jacobsen, with a view to create objects that are pleasing in manner, behaviour, or appearance. Both working as design professionals, they have rented a desk at HDS as an outlet to explore the more playful side of life. Their website is still in the making, but in the meantime–
www.nice-to-be-nice.tumblr.com
JOANNA WATERHOUSE
An artist, writer and printmaker with a passion for ‘things’ – those objects that have garnered meaning through possession and emotion, through contact with people.
A devout car-booter and a lover of ‘Toot’ – humble, everyday things. Through this obsession she has built a life on the sea of household and utilitarian objects that get discarded or lost everyday – making money, meeting people and taking inspiration. Building an island.
KATE ENTERS: FINE ARTIST/ BESPOKE STATIONARY
Kate graduated in Fine Art Painting from Norwich School of Art in 2000. Since then she has worked in PR for the arts, charity and events industry while continuing to concentrate on her painting Kate is also the owner and designer for woppit.co.uk – a commercial venture selling bespoke stationary.
KAYE BLEGVAD: DATTER INDUSTRIES
Datter Industries – subtle, narrative jewellery, designed and handmade by illustrator Kaye Blegvad.
All pieces start out as models hand carved in wax, which are then cast and finished individually by hand in my studio. I like my work to show signs of being handmade: nothing too clean or too perfect. My illustration background means I tend to make pieces with a drawing-based process and a story behind them. I like things dark but elegant, and my jewellery covers some of the same themes I explore in my 2D work: ritual, the occult, weaponry, animals, and talismans.
LEWIS AND LEIGH PR
A young PR duo providing a unique and personal service to emerging design talent.
LUCY MILLS: VISUAL INSTALLATION ARTIST
Working with video, projection and sculpture Lucy’s work is site specific and audience responsive with a cross over of disciplines in digital media and performance.
LYNSEY COKE: COKELOVE
Lynsey Coke is a London based designer and stylist. Working from a unique randomised design process, Lynsey aims to design accessories which critique material choice within the fashion industry. Her aim is to utilise a wider variety of materials and create more innovative design articles. Lynsey uses variables such as lottery numbers, cars passing by and random shops to dictate her material choice and the context of final design articles, thus generating a more randomised output.
NEIL OWEN: TEST SPACE
Test Space is a very different kind of creative agency. Established in 2010 we work closely with our network of creative talent developing innovative and new ways to showcase work; making use of temporary, short term and abandoned property to do this.
Test Space creates memorable, creative and engaging experiences for clients, artists and audience. To do this Test Space works with emerging talent, rising stars and established artists; offering them a platform to showcase their talent. Test Space develops large scale work and creative concepts; encouraging collaboration, innovation and creativity.
ORLANDO GILI: PHOTOGRAPHER / FILMMAKER
Orlando specialises in documentary, portrait and social reportage photography. He takes pictures for a range of organisations, from international brands to local community institutions. Gili is also a filmmaker who’s competent operating cameras and shooting from a photographer’s perspective. Orlando shoots documentaries, viral commercials and promos for broadcast and web, working with television production companies, advertising agencies, charities and educational institutions.
RAQUEL FIGUERIA: DESIGNER / IMAGE MAKER
ROSA BLOOM
Rosa Bloom is a fashion designer and producer. Rosa’s eclectic collections of clothing and jewellery cross the borderline between the every-day and the dressing-up box, resulting in a range of lavish yet easily-wearable designs……a cacophony of sequinned, ruffled, striped, feathered, frilled, colourful pieces. Rosa Bloom’s travelling boutique has gathered a strong following on the festival circuit over the past 4 years, with trademark lines such as Sequin Playsuits, Sequin Leggings, and Feather Capes, selling out within weeks. Rosa lives part-time in Bali, where she works closely with cottage industry tailors and artisan silversmiths who bring her designs into being. Rosa Bloom’s designs are available at festivals such as Glastonbury, Latitude, Wilderness, and Secret Garden Party, in a small selection of shops around the country, and online.
www.facebook.com/rosabloomboudoir
SARAH MARAFIE: BOODI BLU
At ‘Boodi Blu’ you will find recycling, nostalgia and delicate design, all rolled into one. Broken and discarded pieces of china porcelain – found buried in the earth or washed up by rivers or the sea – are rescued and given new purpose. Our one-off, handcrafted pieces of ‘upcycled’ design represent the culmination of one journey and the beginning of quite another. Boodi Blu jewellery communicates a story and emotion.
www.facebook.com/pages/Boodi-Blu/280054518707328?ref=hl
STEVEN QUINN: FINE ARTIST/ MOTION DESIGNER
Steven maintains his practice as an artist working mostly with collage while also working
professionally as a freelance motion designer.
