Studio and studio rentals are not cheap and prices are rising, especially in the larger cities. UKK believes that artists should have the opportunity to live and work in the cities despite the rising rents.
UKK has in collaboration with the Council for Visual Arts in the City of Copenhagen made a study of studio and workshop conditions for artists to map the landscape, as there was no overall overview, which made it difficult to point out possible improvements. One of the conclusions from the report was that there is a lack of artist places and that those that exist are too expensive. 75 percent of the artists who participated in the survey say that they are considering leaving Copenhagen, as it is too expensive to live and work in it.
The following actors have contributed to the study: The Association of Visual Artists (BKF), the Organization for Artists, Curators and Art Mediators (UKK), the Factory for Art and Design (FFKD), Støberiet Blågårdsplads – Kommunal Kunst og Teknik (KKT) and Bikubenfonden.
Based on the study, the Culture and Leisure Committee in Copenhagen has decided to transform the premises Halmtorvet 11 into artist places, which will be made available rent-free. At UKK, we are incredibly pleased that the study has led to quick and concrete action.
We hope that this is the start of many more cheap studios and workshops in Copenhagen and other cities, as the initiative unfortunately only covers a small part of the need, and UKK continues to work to create opportunities for this.