Hotel Elephant

Hotel Elephant was established in 2009 as a not for profit company to provide space for arts and culture in Southwark. Since then Hotel Elephant has provided over 57,000 square f00t of space across 6 'meanwhile' use property in the Elephant and Castle. 

Hotel Elephant was started by local artists and resident Reuben Powell as his studio and education space for running art projects with local primary and secondary schools. From 2012 Hotel Elephant began to run a public program of exhibitions and events, curated by Camberwell College of Art Graduate, Emily Woodhouse. Hotel Elephant has grown from here, supplying the increasing demand for workspace and exhibition space, developing relationships with local Universities, schools and local stakeholders. The program to date has included degree shows, student exhibitions, film screenings, education projects, talks and networking events. Along with this, Hotel Elephant has provided space for artists led projects and a platform for non-venue based practitioners.

Hotel Elephant is dedicated to supporting local artists and graduates to establish their practice in Southwark, along with providing exhibition opportunities, space for artists led projects and a platform for non-venue based practitioners. Hotel Elephant currently provides 40 artists and makers with affordable workspace across two sites in Southwark. Hotel Elephant’s new Spare Street site, due to open in July, will see Hotel Elephant more than double their workspace provision.  

A new street dedicated to creative enterprise in Southwark"

Spare Street is a new street in the Elephant and Castle comprising of 8,750sqft of workspace and a public space across five railways arches. Hotel Elephant will create workspace for 80 –100 Emerging Artists and Creative Entrepreneurs including recent graduates, local micro business and growing creative businesses.

Spare Street has been named by Hotel Elephant after the artist Austin Osman Spare who lived, worked and exhibited in the area from the early 1900’s until his death in 1956. This forms part of a project from Southwark Council and Network Rail to bring unused railway arches back into use. Hotel Elephant has secured funding for the project from Mayor of Londonthrough the London Regeneration Fund and fromSouthwark Council’s Arts and Culture Grant fund.