Matchstick Piehouse is a community orientated venue and arts space, which has been at our current address (213-4 Edward Street in Deptford) since 2018. The space was set up, built and (for a couple of years) staffed by volunteers; we’ve now moved to a paid staff model, and employ a range of artists, musicians, researchers and people based in South London.
All of our stock comes from either South or East London, and we pride ourselves on our diverse portfolio of events, which range from queer cabarets and anarchist performance art nights to folk jam sessions and (of course) Steam Down, the weekly jazz concert we’ve hosted for 4 years. We prioritise representation for historically under-represented groups, and do our best to facilitate a sense of community that people can so desperately miss in London. We've hosted many artists through our doors over the years, so many of whom have gone on to do amazing things -
We were set up and built totally by volunteers with the vision of providing a home for art which isn’t based on commercialism, a business which respects their staff, and a space which welcomes people with all ranges of ability needs who may have felt excluded from mainstream venues. Our goal is maximum empowerment for everyone that we engage with.
Over the last 5 years, we’ve hosted hundreds of events, introduced thousands of people, and made some pretty weird memories along the way. We’ve danced, laughed, and watched a beautiful community blossom from the power of mutual respect.
We’re really sad to say that the future of our business is now under threat. We've had covid-related rent arrears for a long time due to a mixture of being unable to trade during lockdown, and mixed trading in the years after. We haven't managed to solve it.
Our landlord is threatening to essentially end the lease unless we pay the full sum by the end of the week.
This means, for the first time in our history, we are having to turn to the public to ask for donations. We understand that in the midst of the cost of living crisis, especially at a time that many people are donating to various political campaigns, asking for money is difficult. We wouldn’t be doing this unless we absolutely had to.
We are trying to raise 35,000 pounds to guarantee our future. With your support, we will be able to pay off the rent areas and secure the future of the venue.