Artists in the City: Sara Lane Art and Community Centre as a Place of Exchange Part 1 Project 2023 Samuel Littlewood University of East London London | UK “If this goes for me, I think everything goes. If I don’t live in London, there’s absolutely no reason for me to be in England.” - from an artist interview at Sara Lane Studios. The cultural, social and economic significance of London’s grassroots creatives cannot be underestimated. Hackney has a rich history as the home of a diverse artistic community, but over the last fifty years, thousands of creatives have been displaced and priced out from the borough.The Sara Lane Art & Community Centre envisages creating a place for all: a spotlight of exchange that connects the invisible creative community of Sara Lane Studios with the diverse Hoxton neighbourhood and beyond.Intended to amplify the existing artist studios located in a converted car park under a 1960s housing block - the centre provides a new community workshop, teaching facilities and exhibition spaces to upgrade the current urban housing site and create innovative opportunities for collaborative making and skill interchange. Open circulation via publicly accessible walkways forms new urban links and invites visitors to explore the building as an extension of the public realm.The design recognises the importance of the artists and reinforces their role in the community. Samuel Littlewood Tutor(s)