Creative Enterprise Zones: One Year On
11-03-2020
Creative Enterprise Zones are a Mayoral initiative to designate areas of London where artists and creative businesses can find permanent affordable space to work; are supported to start-up and grow; and where local people are helped to learn creative sector skills and find new jobs.
“Creative Enterprise Zones are a bold new initiative for London to secure our future as a cultural capital and ensure artists and creatives continue to call this place their home.” – Mayor of London
The first six Zones – located in Croydon, Hackney, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham and Haringey – were announced by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in December 2018 and are flagship manifesto commitments.
Collectively, the Zones are helping the capital remain a creative, open and forward-looking city by securing much-needed affordable workspace, supporting areas to become or remain creative hubs and providing job and training opportunities that will ensure that the local community benefits from creative sector growth.
Fashion-Enter Ltd has become a part of this forward-thinking initiative with core involvement with the course skills programme N17: Creative Callings, supported by Mayor of London and the European Union. It’s programmes like this that ensures artists and entrepreneurs, regardless of background, are given the support they need and become London’s creative leaders of the future.
The first twelve months of delivery have seen significant progress. The Zones have already delivered 12,360 square metres of affordable creative production spaces including at Brixton’s International House, Fairfield Halls in Croydon and Deptford Foundry Studios. They have also provided new models of business rate relief and cultivated strong community networks ensuring local buy-in, engagement and support.
The N17: Creative Callings programme was the first of six dedicated Creative Skills Programmes launched in the Haringey Zone is supporting 130 diverse local people to upskill and improve their career prospects.
On Monday 9th March 2020 creative leaders, entrepreneurs, public sector and partners met for a conference Creative Enterprise Zones: One Year On at City Hall, London.
Fashion-Enter’s CEO Jenny Holloway attended the afternoon session entitled: ‘How can Creative Enterprise Zones genuinely benefit local people?’ She was joined by Marquel Williams, former Fashion Technology Academy student, Tottenham resident and supporter of the N17 Creative Callings programme. Marquel shared his inspiring story on how Fashion-Enter helped him gain the skills and experience needed to succeed in the competitive fashion industry.
Jenny and Marquel also joined a panel comprised of other creative entrepreneurs and case studies alongside stakeholders from the Zones to answer further questions from the Chair and audience, and share their insight.
Other topics discussed at the conference included: ‘Is the High Street really dead?’ And how creative independents can embrace this changing retail climate to create active hubs that are vibrant and diverse.
John Newbigin chaired this panel session while speakers and panellists shared their experience of trialling and developing new retail models, re-purposing empty High Street units and bolstering civic pride through creative enterprise.
Additionally the conference hosted live music and spoken word performances in amongst the discussions and debates.
If you have just started or are looking to grow a small business in the Tottenham CEZ area, then please get in touch and we will advise on how N17 Creative Callings can help you and your business. Contact Esme: esme@fashion-enter.com
