 It is based in a derelict garage which was an eyesore and a wasted resource owned by Lewisham Council and occupied by People Before Profit as part of their struggle for affordable housing in Lewisham.Chicago has a long tradition of artist-run spaces and projects dating back to the late 1800s.In 1876 artist D. Knight Carter founded Vincennes Gallery of Fine Arts which was reorganized in 1880, by Frank C. Bromley, Henry Arthur Elkins along with other artist to establish a permanent gallery and residency for studio artists.