In the heart of London stands a bold, historic project: The Artist’s Garden — the world’s first and only public sculpture garden dedicated to the work of women artists.

Today it is at risk.  Since opening in 2021, it has welcomed over 100,000 visitors every year for free, every day. A free, open, space where the brilliance of women is not hidden, but celebrated at scale — a place where artists, young people and communities come together to experience what women can achieve, collectively, in public space. 

But on 1 October 2026, The Artist’s Garden faces eviction. Places for London, TfL’s commercial property arm is granting a lease to a private developer, putting this public space — protected by its own legislation passed in 1864 and reinforced in 1919 — in danger of being lost. 

This is bigger than one project.

It is about keeping public land for the public. 
 It is about private landowners not profiting from cultural and community place making.  
It is about women being seen, heard and represented in the fabric of our city. 

The Artist’s Garden is not a “nice to have”. It is infrastructure. It shows what happens when we invest in people, creativity and community. It supports artists, creates jobs, and opens real pathways for young people who might never otherwise see themselves in the creative industries or in a cultural space.  

We are working closely with our long-standing partners Westminster City Council, supporters of the project since day one.  We are on the Greater London Authority’s Culture at Risk Register and are supported by Rachel Blake, MP for the Cities of London and Westminster. 
They know and we know that spaces like this are gone, they do not come back.  
We have 138 days to act — and we need your voices, 5000 of them. The more voices we gather, the stronger the case . 
We will use our petition:

• As PROOF — clear, objective and urgent — of the social, cultural and community value of The Artist’s Garden — to London’s elected decision-makers

• Support our application for the Artist’s Garden on the roof terrace to be recognised as an Asset of Community Value – to give us a chance to bid for the lease before it is granted.

We are presenting this petition to TfL/Places for London, Greater London Authority, Westminster City Council, Department of Culture Media and Sport.

Alongside the petition and to ensure we can stay put - we need a fighting fund of £38,000 (on Crowdfunder only, donations to Change.org do not support our campaign) to: 

• Obtain a High Court Declaration to force TfL/Places to to recognise what we believe are their legal responsibility under the Acts that protect the site – and retract their eviction request

• Design, produce, implement our campaign – pay for artists/filmmakers/creatives/comms to articulate our campaign through word and image

Sign today. Share widely. Support our fighting fund. Stand with us.   
Because this is what the future of public space should look like. 

LONG LIVE THE ARTIST’S GARDEN 

Please note:  DONATIONS MADE TO CHANGE.ORG DO NOT FUND OUR CAMPAIGN please donate via Crowdfunder here. 

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Image credit: LR Vandy, Superhero Cog Woman, (2019-2024) at The Artist's Garden for the group exhibition MARY MARY, 2024. Photo courtesy Nick Turpin.