Leicester Leading: 2025 – 2030

Fashion-Enter Ltd / FashionCapital Founder and CEO Jenny Holloway attended the Leicester Leading: 2025 – 2030 strategy meeting on Friday 15th November. The strategy aims to build on Leicester’s status as one of the most creative cities in the UK and reflects a drive to further support and grow the region’s creative sector.

The cultural and creative sector in Leicester is already strong with growing figures in the likes of: music, computer consultancy, advertising and marketing, film and TV, software and games, photography, the arts, and of course, design and designer fashion.

The Leicester Leading strategy has been based on extensive engagement and research led initially by the consultancy Fifth Sector, and has been facilitated by a partnership comprising of Leicester City Council, De Montfort University, the University of Leicester and Arts Council England. These organisations have identified the region as a creative hub that has massive potential for growth.

The strategy has two over-arching ambitions. To grow Leicester’s creative workforce by 28% from 15,600 to 20,000 people by 2030, and to improve overall rate of adult engagement with the arts, from
80% now to the national average of 90%2.

Jenny commented: “Leicester Leading: 2025 – 2030 clearly endorses the diverse economy of Leicester with organisations ranging from; Shades of Brown, Serendipity, and the new Leicester Music Association. Great investment has been made structurally with buildings and programmes, and it’s with great anticipation that the works will start at the Railway Station.

“The strategy provides great insight into multicultural Leicester; having worked in Leicester since 2017 it was great to see such a wide offer and emphasis on the creative sector, but I think we also need to look at blending programmes together so the clear outcome is job creation. 

“This year the FEL Leicester team relocated to a new premises on King Street (pictured above), renamed the Fashion Hub, the site already provides industry courses in Stitching, Patterns and Workers Rights, along with Skills Bootcamps teaching in-demand skills currently needed by the industry. The site will also offer a Fashion Studio for small scale production and a Repair Centre – in line with the evolving direction. The Fashion Hub team is engaging across education, industry and community and is open to collaboration to ensure ethical and sustainable growth for Leicester.”

For further information on courses / services provided at Leicester’s Fashion Hub please contact: divya@fashion-enter.com 

Fashion Hub, Phoenix House, 2nd Floor, 1 King Street, Leicester, LE1.