The Backroom Foundation is a project founded by three friends: Claudia Owen, an art lover; John Swarbrooke, a gallerist; and José Sarmiento, an artist. Through a hand-tailored residency programme the Foundation aims to provide a space for the artists that allows experiment and play, failure and time. The invit- ed residents come from all kinds of artistic backgrounds. They are encouraged to step away from producing and use the time for connecting with London’s vibrant cultural scene. It is one of the Backroom Foundation’s core beliefs that a period spent leisurely, along with conversations among artists, curators, and collectors can be vital for the artists’ next steps in their artistic exploration.