Space Use
⏢ Annetta’s relationship to space
Annetta understood her legal and financial relationship to 25 Princelet Street as one that made possible other forms of action in the world beyond, such as political activism and creative practice. For example, in front of the Crossrail Select Committee, she described how she “was only allowed to discuss this public project as a private property owner”. She was an active part of the Khoodeelaar! No To Crossrail Hole! protest campaign, which successfully opposed the proposal for a construction hole and spoil heap at Hanbury Street. She was also part of other campaigns in the local area, such as against the closure of Whitechapel Baths.⏢ Booking the space
You can use the space for one-off or regular events, as long as your activities do not contradict our aims for the project. Income from booking the space supports operating costs and the long term repairs of the building.To book the space, first read our how-to-guide. Then, email info@houseofannetta.org with the following information:
- preferred dates & time of booking
- description of activity
- description of individual or organisation of who is making the booking
- information about whether you are funded for this activity/ if it is commercial activity/ if it is a fundraiser
- contact details
- relationship to Tower Hamlets
- relationship to the aims of House of Annetta
- access requirements (eg. ground floor needed)
- number of and/or preferred room(s)
⏢ Accessibility
The building dates from 1705, and has several major limitations to wheelchair accessibility: the step up into the building from the street, the lack of lift to access the upper floors, and the non-accessible toilet. We believe that access to space is a key part of spatial justice - the future repair project will make the building more physically accessible. Read our Accessibility Statement here, which includes more information about the space.⏢ Garden
Self-organised groups look after the garden, as well as the house-plants around the building. It’s a north-facing, shaded garden so not suitable for growing many vegetables. In 2022, Land In Our Names (LION) planted out the garden, ran workshops and laid scaffolding for a floor surface, and Imani Qamar built moveable planters with benches that span between them. We have a bokashi composter and a wormery to process lunch and dinner scraps. Want to get involved in the garden? Do you have any plants to rehome? Contact info@houseofannetta.org⏢ Kitchen
We eat lunch together every day, making use of ingredients that would otherwise go to waste collected from local producers. We have limited fridge space, but we can create pickles to use up vegetables. The waste that can’t be eaten goes into our composters. If you have excess food that you would like to redistribute, please bring it to House of Annetta.⏢ Library
Our library occupies two shelves in the kitchen, and has been categorised by house users. Part of our library is donated by Shared Assets, a thinktank around collective ownership of land. You can view the catalogue here, and come and read the books in person. Do you have books you could donate to our library? We are particularly looking for texts related to housing, land justice, migration, and abolition.⏢ Desk Space
We offer desks, internet, tea, coffee and lunch for £5-15/day for artists, researchers, campaigners and organisers who are working around land rights, housing, and migration.⏢ Meeting Space
We offer low-cost meeting space to campaign groups and organisations. We are close to public transport links, making it a good location for people travelling across London/ the country. We have desks, folding chairs and tables to accommodate up to 25 people comfortably, plus a projector, paper, and lots of pens.⏢ Exhibition Space
The downstairs rooms and garden pavilion are available for hire. The spaces are full of character, with the traces of previous residents. We are located just off Brick Lane, and get lots of passers-by.Past exhibitions:
2024 Elisavet Kalpaxi - Landscape with Fountains, a Place of One’s Own
2024 Assemble - Barry Flanagan, the works
2023 Ed Gray - Scenes of Innocence and Experience
2023 Sian Kelly - Metamorphosis
2023 Lucy Robbins - Land Locked
2023 Alyse Stone - The Black Alchemisphere
Ownership and access to space shapes the local area.