A working kitchen sits at the centre of the gallery programme as a bridge between artistic research and everyday life. Cooking, hosting and discussion fold naturally into the programme, creating a setting where artists, audiences and neighbours can meet through shared experience, informal exchange and the simple act of eating together.

Together with resident chef Marco Donadon and our wider network of partners, Arcade is developing a collaborative kitchen programme that includes ingredient studies, workshops, shared meals and supper clubs. Artists, patrons and local groups are invited to cook, taste and host together, with food becoming a way to share knowledge, build relationships and bring the gallery’s cultural and community work into closer conversation.

As a Community Interest Company, income we generate through exhibitions and the kitchen is reinvested into artistic projects, public workshops and long-term partnerships across South East London.

Through collaborations with organisations such as Company Drinks, Culture Access and local community groups, the kitchen also becomes a platform for exploring questions of care, accessibility and shared labour.