Think Lowestoft

In 2020 Jo won the tender to help East Suffolk Council and the Regeneration team build a Creative Digital Hub.

Creative Hubs can be defined as a physical or virtual place that brings enterprising people together who work in the creative and cultural industries. Every creative hub is unique, and its model is determined by its geographic placement, cultural context, community requirements and funding model.

Research has shown that a purely ‘build it and they will come approach’ alone will not maximise the opportunity or the returns on investment - it needs to be complemented with investment in developing the sector and building the creative engagement in the town.  To grow the sector, the Growth Plan identified three key areas of intervention:

·       Increasing concentration of creative and cultural activity

·       Creation of a focal point

·       Supportive and active creative network

East Suffolk Council wanted to implement these areas of intervention over three phases, with building a supportive and active creative network through a virtual creative hub implemented first.  

One of the most successful Arts Council England funded creative hubs in the country the project was used for 2 ACE case study reports.

The Lowestoft Creative Hub is a place for artists, makers, freelancers, and organisations to connect, collaborate, and share ideas with other like-minded people. We want to increase confidence, experimentation, and growth, and will accomplish this by cultivating connections, providing business support, and supporting the sector by raising the profile and public awareness of our emerging creative sector.

www.thinklowestoft.co.uk/virtual-hub/