Press Release: Launch of Dilston Grove

CGP London are pleased to introduce, after a two year £870,00 renovation project, Dilston Grove, an historic Grade II listed former church in Southwark Park, as a spectacular venue for large-scale presentations of contemporary art. Except for a brief period in the 1970’s, when it served as Richard Wentworth’s studio, Dilston Grove remained empty and derelict until it was rescued by CGP London in 1999. Since then, it has been in continual use as a temporary project space for artists and performers. Previous exhibitions at Dilston Grove include Richard Wilson’s Turbine Hall Swimming Pool, Shona Illingworth’s The Watch Man, and Andrew Kotting’s In The Wake of a Deadad. Dilston Grove has also hosted work from artists such as Ackroyd & Harvey, Michael Cross and Mike Nelson.

Alongside CGP London’s second venue Cafe Gallery – a purpose-built gallery located just a few minutes away in Southwark Park – Dilston Grove will function as a raw space for a planned series of site-specific installations. Established by the Bermondsey Artists’ Group in 1984, CGP London show a diverse range of emerging and established artists as part of an integrated exhibition and learning programme. Originally earmarked for development by Southwark Council, CGP London’s success in retaining Dilston Grove as a permanent public art space consolidates its’ status as one of London’s premier art destinations.

About the building

Dilston Grove is situated on the Southwest corner of Southwark Park in South-East London. The park was opened in 1869 and, along with Finsbury Park; it is the earliest of the parks opened by the Metropolitan Board of Works. The first church on this site was opened in 1886 by Clare College Cambridge as part of a university mission in a ‘spiritually destitute district’. After signs of subsidence in 1909, an appeal fund was started for a new church.

The church as it now stands was built in 1911, the first poured concrete building in England, at a cost of 32,718.16s.4d. Designed by architects Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton, it was described at the time of opening as the finest modern church in South London and is now a Grade II listed building.

After decades of lying unused, CGP London brought Dilston Grove back to life in 1999 as a raw space for site-specific installation that compliments the pristine purpose built space at Cafe Gallery.

About the renovation project

The renovation project was designed to retain the unique raw qualities of the main church space whilst addressing the extensive level of dereliction. The roof has been fully restored and new, historically accurate, rainwater pipes have been fitted. All services have been replaced and a black-out system has been introduced. The former Parish Room has been extensively remodelled to create a new entrance, raise the floor to make the building fully accessible and to provide a permanent home for our Learning Programme. The Lead Architect was Walter Menteth of Walter Menteth Architects and the conservation architect was Sherry Bates of Bates Zambelli.

Acknowledgments

The restoration of Dilston Grove was managed by CGP London and funded by the Cabinet Office for the Third Sector’s Community Assets transfer Scheme (delivered by the BIG Lottery Fund), Arts Council England (Grants for the Arts), English Heritage, the London Borough of Southwark and the City Bridge Trust. The launch has been supported by Arts Co and JB Pelham PR. Pic by Miyako Narita.