Lights Of Soho: #NoArtistsNoArt

Lights of Soho, a culture hub, gallery and Member’s club, operating as a social enterprise out of Soho’s Brewer St, London, is spearheading a campaign #NoArtistsNoArt, supported by local galleries, restaurants and bars around Soho that will remove or cover up every piece of art on their walls – a bleak intimation of what is happening because of the large rises in business rates, pushing out the independent operators.

Lights of Soho itself now needs to expand to create a self-funding, sustainable business, without which it too will struggle to survive. #NoArtistsNoArt is a local movement that serves as a way of gaining mass recognition of this ongoing struggle, raising awareness of the wider issue and their Kickstarter campaign to help keep Soho burning as London’s bright, neon beacon of creativity.

This mission is to support all creatives, including those in film, fashion, music, art, publishing and design, giving them a platform and venue to promote their work - for free. All profits from the bar, art sales and corporate events is put back into the venue, with the Directors and owners never taking a fee or wage in the two years of its operation.

The #NOARTISTSNOART campaign has been created in collaboration with M&C Saatchi and is supported by venues such as Soho House, Quo Vadis, Blacks, The Box, The London Cocktail Club, Cass Art, Balans, Randall & Aubin, Pix, Soho Radio, Save Soho and many others. 

On Monday 19th June at 6.30pm Lights of Soho will be introducing all their venue partners and launching their Kickstarter campaign which culminates on Monday July 24th at an event where original artworks from the likes of Banksy and Antony Micallef will be raffled and auctioned, along with unique artworks drawn onto cocktail coasters. 

The creative comunity of SOHO ask people to donate at www.kickstarter.com/profile/noartistsnoart and to become an active member of the campaign by taking pictures of the covered canvas’ around Soho, sharing the photos on the social handles on @lightsofsoho and @noartistsnoart with the hashtag #noartistsnoart 
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With your support, we can protect the essence of Soho that makes it so iconic worldwide.