8th March 2018

Intoart: A New Chapter

“Assumptions prevail that people with learning disabilities are the recipients of a service and are participants rather than contemporary cultural producers in their own right.”

In 2001, printmakers Sam Jones and Ella Ritchie set out on an eight-week project to quash such assumptions. Simultaneously they worked to improve arts education and develop opportunities for artists with learning disabilities.

Eight weeks turned into 17 years and today Intoart has grown to become one of London’s most influential inclusive art collectives. With a vision for people with learning disabilities to be visible, equal and established artists, Intoart is currently supporting 21 creatives in furthering their creative practices.

Intoart Studio at Peckham Levels. Photo by Josef Konczak.

In January, the collective moved into a new studio space in Peckham Levels, a recently opened creative hub in the heart of Peckham. “We are delighted to be back in Peckham where our very first project began 17 years ago,” says Ritchie. “We were excited by the Peckham Levels project from the very beginning – its ethos and commitment to diversity of creative practice and community investment chime with our own.”

Being at Peckham Levels opens up opportunities for the collective. “We have always worked off-site to realise ceramics, textiles, print and photo shoots, so we are really excited that all these facilities are housed within the Peckham Levels,” says Richie.

The new studio is a whopping five times the size of the collective’s former space and houses an art and design studio, an office and an archive comprising more than 2,000 artworks. With the new premises come expanded possibilities. In 2018, Intoart will support more than 20 artists and have scope for more, meaning more projects, more exhibitions and more artwork. The increased space will also facilitate more diverse art practices as well as larger-scale and more ambitious works.

Intoart Studio at Peckham Levels. Photo by Josef Konczak.

Although one of the main reasons for the move was to increase the size, and therefore the creative output, of the collective, Intoart is careful not to over-expand. Ten artists are able to work in Intoart’s studio at any one time – four artists in the design studio and six in the art studio. “There's room for more people,” says Ritchie, “but we have focused the space on each individual having ample space to work on larger and more ambitious works.”

The new studio will also allow Intoart to host a range of public events. Open studios, artist talks, archive and studio visits, and film screenings, are all part of the future vision.

For more updates on Intoart visit their website here and follow them on Instagram!

Intoart Studio at Peckham Levels. Photo by Josef Konczak.