The Woodmill

The Woodmill

Thom O`Nions at Woodmill, Neckinger - from: Heilgemeir, M. (2013), The Nomadic Studio, Stuttgart: Edition Taube (photo: Michael Heilgemeir)

about: 

The Woodmill was initiated by a group of artists and Southwark Council’s Regeneration department, with support from ACAVA, and occupied a series of ex–council buildings, including a 40,000 sqft office block, an industrial hangar space built in 1901, as well as a set of residential flats inhabited by 20 of the 100 studio artists, from 2009 – 2011.

Over the course of 18 months the Woodmill hosted 14 main public exhibitions, 33 events and some 40 project exhibitions created by studio artists. More than 150 artists from 15 countries were invited to realise projects that were seen by over 6,000 visitors.

In October 2012 The Woodmill relocated to nearby Drummond Road, Bermondsey SE16 and re-opened as 'The Woodmill GP'

how is/was it run/structured ?: 

what is/was it's legal status ?: 

  • unincorporated organisation

how is/was it funded ?: 

history of the site: 

"... Previously the site of a large tannery, the (Neckinger) Depot’s infamous ‘sharp stink’ of Bermondsey’s other prolific industry was replaced in the early 20th Century with civic buildings and storage. By 2009, the Woodmill; a 40,000 sq ft tin can with inadequate utility systems and outdated interior design had become economically and environmentally inefficient to its owners. Although generally in sound condition, the Woodmill neither reflected the newly engineered Tooley Street offices of Southwark Council’s aspiration, nor did it belong to the identity of the Borough’s future. In worse condition, the rest of the Depot’s surrounding hangar buildings built in 1901 and previously used as a wheel wrights and bus depot, stood rotting slowly; graveyards for obsolete computer equipment, rusty office fans and mouldy lever arch files..."

from: Naomi Pearce (2010) "A Fast Event, A Slow Event", printed in Art Licks Issue 2

exhibitions, events, workshops: 

'The Woodmill S.A.G.S.', 09.04.2011 – 01.05.2011
'The Present Archive', 18.03.2011 – 27.03.2011
'Perverted Minimalism Nr. 3', 18.03.2011 – 27.03.2011
'Elephants at the Woodmill (Nicolas Party)', 11.02.2011 – 27.02.2011
'Bad History (Neil Clements)', 14.01.2011 – 13.02.2011
'Coherence & Proximity (Mark Fell)', 03.12.2010 – 19.12.2010
'Pale Blue Dot', 03.12.2010 – 19.12.2010
'Bergan Biennale II: The Next Generation', 19.11.2010 – 21.11.2010
'Man in the Dark', 08.10.2010 – 07.11.2010
'Buzz or Howl', 10.09.2010 – 26.09.2010
'Reading a Wave', 23.06.2010 – 25.07.2010
'Lucky Dip', 23.06.2010 – 18.07.2010
'Elena Bajo', 21.04.2010 – 23.05.2010
'The Devil's Necktie', 12.02.2010 – 07.03.2010

for further information see: www.woodmill.org/exhibitions

bibliography: 

Heilgemeir, M. (2013), The Nomadic Studio - Art, Life and the Colonisation of Meanwhile Space, Stuttgart: Edition Taube (ISBN: 978-3-9814518-2-5)

address: 

The Woodmill - Neckinger Depot
Neckinger
SE16 3QN London 51° 29' 47.076" N, 0° 4' 29.8812" W
GB

total size in sqm/sqft: 

usage: 

previous usage of the site: 

number of studios: 

number of workshops: 

number of exhibition/project spaces: 

types of studios: 

  • private

types of workshops: 

established: 

2009

vacated: 

2011

last known status of the project: 

last known status of the site: 

direct follow-up/precursory project(s):