About Us

OUR STORY

Conceived and fundraised by the Test Valley Arts Foundation (TVAF), the derelict Chapel in St Mary's Cemetery was re-opened with its new identity as an artists' studio in 2009.  For the next few years, it served as the engine room for ideas that took the artists creativity out into the community. 

After a few years, a chance finding at Hampshire Records Office revealed the original hand-drawn Victorian map of Andover marked with St Mary's Church and Cemetery, as well as the Chapel. Interestingly, it wasn't labelled St Marys Chapel at all: it was a Dissenters Chapel! Built by this independent religious group, who dissented from the ‘top-down’ hierarchy of the church, the chapel now had a history! This challenging and questioning heritage was immediately embraced by the artists. Dissent has since had a central role in CAS' activities and programming, driving artistic enquiries.

Later, following a successful funding bid to the Arts Council England, The Chapel celebrated their tenth anniversary with a (re)launch of Chapel Arts Studios (CAS). It became a National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) of The Arts Council in 2018, incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, and subsequently became a charity in 2019.  This curiously coincided with the Chapel's 150th birthday! 

Since then, with the Arts Council funding and local council support, CAS has continued to grow, expanding the team and the programmes, as well as our aspirations and commitment to the communities we serve. CAS has even been to space and got the pictures to prove it!