Noroa Perez, 48, operator of Musings Darkroom, says she has been forced out of the Rosetta Arts community hub in Hamilton Road, Newham, just two months after being invited to set up there. Despite promises of collaborative projects and a dedicated space for her affordable darkroom, she received a month's notice to leave at the end of August, with the eviction effective by the end of September.
Invitation and swift reversal
Perez explained that Rosetta Arts initially contacted her a year ago to update their existing darkroom. At the time, she was based in Thamesmead. She spent a week upgrading their facilities. A year later, Rosetta Arts said the darkroom was not working and needed someone to run it. Perez, unable to manage two darkrooms, proposed moving her entire operation to the Hamilton Road site.
“They were super happy and insisted that they were the ones interested in me coming to Rosetta,” Perez said. “It was a big move as a darkroom has a lot of equipment.” She negotiated for an additional room to accommodate her equipment, and Rosetta Arts agreed to all her requests. “They said yes to everything. We want you here, we want you here. It was a really good deal not to say yes,” she added.
Affordable service at risk
Musings Darkroom offers artists a discounted rate of £15 per day to develop their own photographs, compared to the average £40 per day elsewhere. Perez said the lower price was intended to support emerging artists. “I don't do this for myself, it's giving people a platform, and that is the most important thing, it gives the opportunity for others,” she said.
After two months of operation, Perez received an email in late August asking her to vacate by the end of September. She said the initial reason given was monetary, but when she offered to pay more, the reason changed to Newham Council needing the space. “It doesn't make sense, I've been painting the space and bringing all the equipment in there, and my community, you wouldn't think I would only stay there for two months,” she said.
Legal and community impact
Perez noted that her arrangement was a membership rather than a tenancy agreement, making it legally difficult to challenge. She has started a petition to reverse the decision, arguing that eviction would stifle the growth of new creative talents who cannot afford costly private alternatives. She has also emailed Newham Council but has not received a response from either party.
“In a month, send me to the street with all this equipment, and it's really impossible to find a place in London. If I put it in storage, I will be losing a lot of money. So it's just a nightmare to be honest, I am hoping that they will change their mind,” Perez said. Rosetta Arts declined to comment when contacted by MyLondon.
