Creative Enterprise Zone status and funding awarded

The town centre was identified by the Mayor of London as having massive potential for delivering hundreds of jobs and harnessing the best creative businesses.

Already home to many creative businesses of all sizes, a £500,000 investment will help drive that potential forward.

Through the Creative Enterprise Zone programme:

• A Cultural Education Officer will be appointed to foster collaboration between schools and creative industries
• A new business start-up programme will be put in place to help local people start their creative and digital businesses in Brixton
• An international art fair – Brixton Biennale – will be established to showcase international creativity in Brixton
• Lambeth’s Local Plan (setting out its planning policy) will adopt an Affordable Workspace policy to secure affordable workspace and to safeguard and grow Lambeth’s Creative and Digital Industries

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Culture and creativity is vital to the success of our city – it makes the capital a place people want to live, do businesses and visit. But it can be difficult for artists and creative businesses to stay in an area as it develops, and that’s why it’s so important we give the industry the support it needs.

“I’ve been clear that London is Open for business and the Creative Enterprise Zones will help the capital remain a creative and forward-looking city to do business.”

Lambeth Council’s applications for CEZ was developed in collaboration with Brixton Business Improvement District (BID), through engagement with stakeholders and informed by the council’s Creative and Digital Industries Strategy for Growth and Brixton Economic Action Plan.

Cllr Matthew Bennett, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Planning, Investment & New Homes, said: “We’re delighted that the Mayor of London has seen the potential here, and supported us with the CEZ designation. We will invest this money to benefit the people of Brixton, Lambeth and London as a whole.