The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced the expansion of his ground-breaking Creative Enterprise Zones as a new report reveals they have recovered faster from the pandemic

and performed better than London’s wider creative economy, while helping reverse the trend of artists being priced out of areas.

Brent, Islington and Westminster are set to become the latest dedicated areas in the capital where artists and creatives are supported to put down roots at the heart of their communities through affordable workspaces and improved access to creative sector skills and employment. Sadiq also announced that nine projects across the zones will receive a share of £1.2m to make workplaces greener and more sustainable, benefiting more than 500 creative businesses.

The Mayor made the announcements as a new report published today shows that the Mayor’s first six Creative Enterprise Zones have become centres of the creative economy, creating jobs and business throughout the pandemic and recovering faster than the wider creative economy. 

The Creative Enterprise Zone Impact report, by consultants We Made That, shows that between 2018 and 2021: 

-Creative jobs in Brixton grew nearly four times faster than in London’s wider creative economy.  

- Croydon’s music, performance and visual arts sector grew twice as much in the zone than across the wider London.  

- The music performance and visual arts sector in Deptford and New Cross made a dramatic recovery from a 36 per cent drop to a 12 per cent increase in creative jobs over pre-pandemic levels.

- Nearly all sectors of the creative industries in the Hackney Wick and Fish Island zone experienced an increase in jobs and businesses and saw their turnover grow year on year.

- The Hounslow zone screen and digital industries now account for nearly 89 per cent of creative industry turnover in the area.

-  In Tottenham creative businesses grew by 35 per cent, despite challenges of the pandemic and cost of living crisis.

The new zones in Brent, Islington and Westminster will join Croydon, Haringey, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham, Hackney and Tower Hamlets with London Legacy development Corporation, Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing with Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation, and Waltham Forest to fulfil the Mayor’s manifesto commitment of creating 12 zones.

The new zones will receive a share of £210,000 to help support young Londoners to embark on creative careers through information and advice, work experience and practical training. The zones will also create new permanent, affordable artist studios and creative spaces in the community – supporting 200 businesses and creating 3,000 sqm of affordable workspace.

Brent will celebrate the diversity of South Asia’s culture, building upon existing specialised skills in jewellery, textile and fashion by creating more than 2000 sqm of new affordable workspace and 30 new jobs. Islington will focus on emerging talent, increasing affordable creative workspace and helping nearly 300 young people into creative careers. Westminster will kick start new creative businesses and jobs, providing free business support to 20 creative SMEs.

The Mayor’s £1.2m Creative Enterprise Zone Sustainability Capital Grant fund will support creative businesses and workspaces across the zones to improve their energy efficiency and contribute to the Sadiq’s net zero target for 2030.  The nine projects awarded funding will improve the energy efficiency of over 7,500 sqm of creative workspace, including improved insulation and a more energy efficient heating system for the new Creative Campus at Chiswick House and Gardens in Hounslow and give access to high quality materials that will make the new Sutherland Studios in Waltham Forest’s Blackhorse Lane zone a ‘best in class’ for retrofitting existing buildings to meet energy standards. The grant will also see a new energy efficient workspace created on the top floor of cultural organisation, Raw Materials in Brixton, supporting its membership of local artists and makers.

The Mayor launched his Creative Enterprise Zones in 2018 and has invested £14.7m to help the areas support artists and creative businesses find permanent affordable space to work, provide support to new creative businesses and improve access to creative sector skills and employment. By 2026, the 12 zones will deliver 71,000 sqm of affordable creative workspace - the equivalent of 10 football pitches - support 800 creative businesses, deliver 500 jobs and help 5,000 young Londoners to enter the creative industries.

The Mayor of London. Sadiq Khan, said: “Creative Enterprise Zones have been a game changer for culture in London, and I’m proud that our investment has helped these areas to protect local artists and enable them to bounce back from the impacts of the pandemic faster and stronger than the wider industry. 

“These zones ensure that artists and creatives have affordable places to work across the capital, are supported to start-up and grow, and can help Londoners develop a range of skills. I am delighted to announce three new Creative Enterprise Zones in Brent, Islington and Westminster.

“It is vital that we continue to invest in our creative future, providing opportunities for young and emerging talent to thrive as we continue to build a better and fairer London for everyone.” 

Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: “London is a thriving creative capital, which is powering our economy and bringing people from all different backgrounds and communities together.

“Central to our success is a super talented and committed creative workforce – artists, designers, craftspeople and photographers, but what they need is affordable space. So, I am delighted to see the impact our Creative Enterprise Zones are having - reversing the trend of artists moving out of London”

“The Zones are on track to deliver more than 70,000 sqm affordable long-term space by 2026, supporting hundreds of creative businesses, jobs and thousands of young Londoners into the creative industries”

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council said: “Our borough is bursting at the seams with creative talent and I’m delighted that Brent has been selected as one of the capital’s newest Creative Enterprise Zones. One of our top priorities is to support local businesses and trailblazers to thrive and this zone will create the perfect environment for artists and creatives to come together, set up shop, expand and flourish.”

Councillor Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council said: “Westminster is full of talented people with the ideas to thrive in creative industries. As a council we want to see the same support and facilities available across our city. It’s an exciting time for North Paddington, an area with a rich history of Caribbean Carnival Arts and a diverse community bursting with imagination.

“By designating North Paddington a Creative Enterprise Zone the Mayor of London, the council and our local partners are revealing a world of untapped potential - providing space for our communities to explore new opportunities in the creative sector and support for existing business.”

Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Leader of Islington Council, said: “Islington is full of amazing creative and cultural organisations, and they play a vital role in making our borough great. Many of those organisations are in Archway and I’m delighted that this has been recognised by the Mayor of London in making it a Creative Enterprise Zone. This will allow us to invest in creative industries in Archway and to bring those experiences to people who don’t usually have access to them, supporting our mission to make Islington a more equal place.”

Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust said: "As well as caring for our Grade-I listed 18th century buildings and keeping our 65-acre gardens free to visit 365 days a year, we're passionate about supporting our Creative Enterprise Zone and the Hounslow community through skills development and by creating employment opportunities. Thanks to this funding from the Mayor of London, we’re taking bold steps to repurpose unused and underused historic buildings and solving some of the environmental challenges to establish an ambitious new Creative Campus for up to 100 local artists, makers and artisans."

The Bush Theatre's General Manager Angela Wachner said: “Sustainability is central to the work we do at the Bush Theatre. Working in a building with historical importance means we meet particular challenges.  We are delighted to receive this grant from the Mayor of London and borough of Hammersmith & Fulham which will help us greatly in our journey to becoming net zero and uncover ways to complete this work in a manner which will be sensitive and appropriate to the building.” Photo by DAVID HOLT from London, England, Wikimedia commons.