Co-op central: the battle for the soul of Lewisham

Amid rising rents and closing businesses and venues, locals in the capital are increasingly taking charge of spaces themselves to reinvigorate their communities. Kemi Alemoru reports on the co-op scene leading the way

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A new music venue for Lewisham designed and built, danced in, performed in, run, and owned by YOU," read bold billboards in Deptford, near Goldsmiths, and up around Forest Hill. The show illustrated people with various skin shades of red, white and blue-some playing instruments or dancing, others in wheelchairs, all happy and belonging.

The venue will be the latest home for Lewisham music co-operative Sister Midnight, which aims to prove people can take control of their neighbour hoods together. The borough saw the highest jump in London rent from 2022 to 2023, and the quickest and steepest rise in house prices in the past decade - a jaw-dropping 74.78 per cent.

As developers reshape it, erecting bolshy gleaming towers creating a 'Madhatten' south of the capital, pubs face being knocked down (or have already been) and business owners struggle to keep up with costs. Finding and maintaining a vibrant creative community in the area is tough. But Sister Midnight now has 1,000 members and raised over £350,000 through community investment (including £10,000 from the Beggars Group music label, which owns XI. Recordings and Rough Trade). "We could never have done this if we hadn't set ourselves up as a co-operative," says founder, Lenny Watson.

It started when the record shop where Watson was volunteering in Deptford was due to turn into a cheese and wine shop: "I just thought, 'f that. That sounds like the last thing we need more of. We need music venues.' So I decided to take on the lease to the space and keep it running" She refused to capitulate to the difficulties faced by hospitality venue owners and events shuttered by Covid.