South London Venue Matchstick Piehouse Fighting for Survival

Deptford venue Matchstick Piehouse has become a local hub for musicians, creatives and activists having been operating at 213-4 Edward Street since 2018. Originally pioneered and championed by volunteers the venue has sine evolved to become a hub for the local community running gigs, parties, talks, exhibitions and more across the past five years.

For many it has become a trusted safe space, showcasing artists and acts left of centre, far removed from mainstream culture as the venue reflects:

“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.”