A community darkroom project has been turfed out of a London art hub just months after being invited to set up there by the charity that runs it
A darkroom operator says she’s been kicked out of an art hub space just months after being asked to update it for a charity in Newham.
Noroa Perez, 48, of Musings Darkroom, was invited by Rosetta Arts to join their community art hub in Hamilton Road with the promise of collaborative projects and a space for her affordable darkroom, but after just two months, she was given a month’s notice to leave.
Norea says her darkroom is an affordable service for artists to develop their own photographs, offering users a discounted rate of £15 a day compared to the average £40 a day, which the 48-year-old said was to help artists just starting out.
First, she was told it was monetary; then, Nora claims she was told Newham Council needed the space. Noroa said: “One year ago, Rossetta contacted me to update their darkroom. I was in a place in Thamesmead. I said, ‘ Yeah, sure and updated their darkroom. I was there for a week to update it all for them.
“Then a year later they said it wasn’t working and that they needed someone to run the dark room, I can’t run two dark rooms so I said can I move? They were super happy and insisted that they were the ones interested in me coming to Rossetta. It was a big move as a dark room has a lot of equipment.
“I asked whether we could have another room next to it, because we had so much equipment, there were some negotiations, but they said yes to everything. We want you here, we want you here. It was a really good deal not to say yes.
“I’ve only been here for two months, and it’s been summer, so it’s been quiet. I wanted to do another project and collaborate with them, but they weren’t up for it. Then, I got an email in late August saying they wanted me out by the end of September. It’s not like a tenancy agreement, it’s a membership thing, so legally it’s quite difficult.”
Since hearing the news of the eviction, Noroa has started a petition to reverse the decision, arguing that it would stifle the growth of new “creative talents who often cannot afford costly private alternatives”. The photographer hopes that the petition and her continued presence in the photography community may help change the minds of Rosetta Arts, yet she has not heard back since going public.
“I don’t do this for myself, it’s giving people a platform, and that is the most important thing, it gives the opportunity for others. It’s going to be a real loss for the community; there are not many places where you can come and do these things,” Noroa continued.
“In a month, send me to the street with all this equipment, and it’s really impossible to find a place in London. If I put it in storage, I will be losing a lot of money. So it’s just a nightmare to be honest, I am hoping that they will change their mind, I also emailed the council, but I haven’t heard from either of them.”
“The first reason was monetary, I told them I could pay more, then they changed it to the council needs the space. It doesn’t make sense, I’ve been painting the space and bringing all the equipment in there, and my community, you wouldn’t think I would only stay there for two months.”
Rosetta Arts told MyLondon that they did not wish to comment.
