The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced funding of nearly £3m for the Creative Enterprise Zones Programme. The new funding aims to increase skills and employment opportunities across London.
The Mayor launched the Creative Enterprise Zone Programme, which created affordable workspace and training opportunities, in 2018. The Creative Enterprise Zones programme has supported businesses and local people secure jobs and enter into the creative sector. It has supported artists and freelancers by offering business support, developing skills and offering long-term affordable workspaces in the capital.
The new funding is in addition to the £11m already invested by the mayor. It will create six new creative zones over the next two years. The new Creative Enterprise Zones will have access to a package of support from City Hall, including access to research and marketing.
Waltham Forest has been confirmed as one of the six new Creative Enterprise Zones. Croydon, Haringey, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham, and a single Zone across both Hackney and Tower Hamlets, were the first six Creative Enterprise Zones in the capital. Collectively, they have already created 15,669sqm of much-needed new, permanent, affordable creative workspace, and will be offering 1,000 training opportunities.
The existing zones are offering new skills programmes which will improve career prospects for over 650 Londoners. There will also be a focus on creating opportunities for women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community groups.
Throughout the pandemic, the Creative Enterprise Zones supported more than 300 cultural organisations and businesses, helped to protect 1000 sector jobs and leveraged £2.2m in additional funding for help towards rent relief and business rates grants. The pandemic has hit the creative industries hard, many workshops, studies and workspaces face the threat of being closed or rising rent, therefore, having access to affordable workspaces is all the more important.