The 370sqm facility will open on 25 January a couple of miles south of 3rd Rail's base in Bermondsey.

The facility will make a variety of screen printing equipment available to members of the public and will be part of the Peckham Levels project, which has converted a multi-storey carpark near Peckham High Street into a retail, performance and exhibition space focused on design, craft, music and food. 3rd Rail’s community hub will take up the third floor of the site.

“We wanted to give members of the public access to skills which can only really be carried out on specialist, expensive equipment,” said studio manager Holly Clarke.

“Peckham Levels will have an ethos of inspiring creativity and community that we are very excited to join.

“The space will provide studio and desk space for our members, who can join through subscriptions and come to our classes and workshops on evenings and weekends.

“Our goal is to make the space as accessible as possible. Novices get so much out of guidance and access, with many people going on to start their own businesses based on the printing techniques they learn.”

3rd Rail received £11,558 in pledges from 117 backers through its campaign on the crowdsourcing website Kickstarter. Pledges of £100 or more gave donors two months of membership to the space, which would usually cost £230. According to Clarke, there have been 20 members signed up ahead of the launch event on 25 January.

Equipment at the studio will include a six-colour garment carousel, two 6x1.5m fabric tables, four paper tables able to print up to 1x1.5m, an enclosed exposure unit, and an 80x100cm heat press. Desk and studio spaces will also be available to members.

The launch event will include live demonstrations and trials on the equipment, as well as showcases of work that was produced on the machinery.