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Brixton Pound © This Ain't Rock and Roll
Our strategy
Based on evidence-led analysis, our strategy starts by recognising Lambeth’s enduring and distinctive character. We celebrate the extraordinary contribution that the creative and digital sectors already make to our borough.
We then identify the challenges ahead and set out clear objectives and actions. Finally, we detail how Lambeth and its partners can work together to drive inclusive growth.
Lambeth’s
creative
DNA
Our creative economy brings people together, provides life-affirming moments and helps to make Lambeth’s places of authenticity stand out. It provides employment for local people and is fundamental to our ambition for inclusive growth. Here we set out what makes Lambeth distinctive — our creative DNA.
We are radical
Lambeth has a rich and vibrant history of creative innovation and radical thought.
From the writings and engravings of William Blake to the Chartist uprisings of the 19th century, the breathtaking ambition of the Festival of Britain in 1951, to the inspirational cultural imprint of the Windrush Generation and to the surge of dance culture in the clubs of Vauxhall and Brixton — radical ideas have been a continuous thread.
This spirit lives on today — through our grassroots cultural organisations, creative networks like the Brixton Design Trail and UK Black Tech, the WOW Festival celebrating the power and potential of girls and women, and the work of many other creative and technology organisations in the borough.
We are open
We have a history of openness and diversity.
For hundreds of years, we have welcomed new communities who have left a unique cultural mark on our borough. At least 40 countries have 500 or more representatives (by birth) living in Lambeth. These include strong, multi-generational communities of Portuguese, Black Caribbean and Somali descent who have settled and formed distinctive and visible presences.These communities are hotbeds of cultural activity.
We have distinctive, creative places
Across Lambeth, our places have their own identities, communities and assets.
Our creative economy plays a huge role in defining these places, and making them great places to live, work and visit.
Community centres and halls on our estates provide the spaces to engage, enable and create cultural programmes with our communities that are brimming with remarkable stories and creative potential.
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South Bank and Waterloo are home to a world class cultural cluster, with many of London’s most important artistic venues and festivals. There is an emerging network of new business incubation spaces in the area.
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Vauxhall is the cultural centre of London’s LGBTQ+ community and has a strong visual arts scene. Local assets including The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Fire, Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Gasworks, Garden Museum and Newport Street Gallery.
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Stockwell, once the home of Van Gogh, is London’s Little Portugal, with thriving community centres and cafés, the Skate Park and Playhouse.
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Brixton has extraordinary character, heritage, sense of community, and now a buzzing creative economy. The Academy, Black Cultural Archives, Brixton Library and Ovalhouse Theatre provide an ever-changing repetoire.
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Clapham supports a strong culture, night time and education offer, including Studio Voltaire, Clapham Omnibus, the Bread and Roses, Two Brewers, School of Sound, Clapham Library and Academy of Contemporary Music.
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Streatham’s high street scene includes Italian, African, Indian, Somali, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Japanese and Spanish shops and restaurants. It has arts, film and food festivals, the Hideaway and Streatham Space Project.
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West Norwood and Tulse Hill have established the much loved Feast, Portico Gallery and South London Theatre.
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© Angelica Dass
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Lambeth Country Show
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© Benedict Johnson
Fast growth and high value industries...
The creative and digital industries are now widely recognised as important drivers of UK jobs, innovation and growth.
The creative industries are creating jobs four times as quickly as the wider economy. In recent years there has been huge growth in London’s digital economy. There were over 7,500 digital start-ups in London in 2016. Some 20% of London’s tech companies are high growth. Technological developments like 5G connectivity, augmented reality and artificial intelligence help to sustain the growth and innovation taking place.
As highlighted by NESTA, the focus on creating something new and unpredictable makes creative talent harder to replace with robots and algorithms. As a result, creative jobs are more resilient to automation.
The creative and tech sectors are also increasingly credited with wider economic benefits:
- Enhancing innovation and productivity in other sectors with the business benefits often taking place locally
- Helping to make places distinctive, vibrant and enjoyable — for local people, visitors, and workers
- Engaging young people, many of whom are attracted to careers in the creative and tech economy
...already making a significant contribution
Lambeth’s creative and digital businesses provide 22,000 jobs and generate £1.8bn Gross Value Added (GVA) for the economy.
They provide significant support and fuel growth in other parts of our economy — particularly the visitor and night time economy which are one of the borough’s
key strengths.
Within Lambeth, growth is taking place in a wide range of creative and digital sectors — particularly design, fashion, craft, creative tech (including games), film and TV, publishing, and advertising.
- £91.8bn Since 2010, the GVA generated by the creative industries has risen by 45% to £91.8 billion
- 7,500 In 2016 London had more than 7,500 tech start-ups
- 20% A number of london’s tech companies are ‘high growth’
- 22,000 22,000 jobs generated by Lambeth’s creative and technology businesses
- 30m visitors 30 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR TO THE SOUTH BANK — HOME TO INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
- 21 NPOs 21 Arts Council National Portfolio Organisations in the borough
- £1.8bn GVA £1.8 billion GVA generated locally by Lambeth’s creative and technology businesses
Based on evidence-led analysis, our strategy starts by recognising Lambeth’s enduring and distinctive character. We celebrate the extraordinary contribution that the creative and digital sectors already make to our borough.
We then identify the challenges ahead and set out clear objectives and actions. Finally, we detail how Lambeth and its partners can work together to drive inclusive growth.
Lambeth’s
creative
DNA
Our creative economy brings people together, provides life-affirming moments and helps to make Lambeth’s places of authenticity stand out. It provides employment for local people and is fundamental to our ambition for inclusive growth. Here we set out what makes Lambeth distinctive — our creative DNA.
We are radical
Lambeth has a rich and vibrant history of creative innovation and radical thought.
From the writings and engravings of William Blake to the Chartist uprisings of the 19th century, the breathtaking ambition of the Festival of Britain in 1951, to the inspirational cultural imprint of the Windrush Generation and to the surge of dance culture in the clubs of Vauxhall and Brixton — radical ideas have been a continuous thread.
This spirit lives on today — through our grassroots cultural organisations, creative networks like the Brixton Design Trail and UK Black Tech, the WOW Festival celebrating the power and potential of girls and women, and the work of many other creative and technology organisations in the borough.
We are open
We have a history of openness and diversity.
For hundreds of years, we have welcomed new communities who have left a unique cultural mark on our borough. At least 40 countries have 500 or more representatives (by birth) living in Lambeth. These include strong, multi-generational communities of Portuguese, Black Caribbean and Somali descent who have settled and formed distinctive and visible presences.These communities are hotbeds of cultural activity.
We have distinctive, creative places
Across Lambeth, our places have their own identities, communities and assets.
Our creative economy plays a huge role in defining these places, and making them great places to live, work and visit.
Community centres and halls on our estates provide the spaces to engage, enable and create cultural programmes with our communities that are brimming with remarkable stories and creative potential.
© Angelica Dass
Fast growth and high value industries...
The creative and digital industries are now widely recognised as important drivers of UK jobs, innovation and growth.
The creative industries are creating jobs four times as quickly as the wider economy. In recent years there has been huge growth in London’s digital economy. There were over 7,500 digital start-ups in London in 2016. Some 20% of London’s tech companies are high growth. Technological developments like 5G connectivity, augmented reality and artificial intelligence help to sustain the growth and innovation taking place.
As highlighted by NESTA, the focus on creating something new and unpredictable makes creative talent harder to replace with robots and algorithms. As a result, creative jobs are more resilient to automation.
The creative and tech sectors are also increasingly credited with wider economic benefits:
- Enhancing innovation and productivity in other sectors with the business benefits often taking place locally
- Helping to make places distinctive, vibrant and enjoyable — for local people, visitors, and workers
- Engaging young people, many of whom are attracted to careers in the creative and tech economy
...already making a significant contribution
Lambeth’s creative and digital businesses provide 22,000 jobs and generate £1.8bn Gross Value Added (GVA) for the economy.
They provide significant support and fuel growth in other parts of our economy — particularly the visitor and night time economy which are one of the borough’s
key strengths.
Within Lambeth, growth is taking place in a wide range of creative and digital sectors — particularly design, fashion, craft, creative tech (including games), film and TV, publishing, and advertising.
- £91.8BN SINCE 2010, THE GVA GENERATED BY THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES HAS RISEN BY 45% TO £91.8 BILLION
- 7,500 IN 2016 LONDON HAD MORE THAN 7,500 TECH START-UPS
- 20% A NUMBER OF LONDON’S TECH COMPANIES ARE ‘HIGH GROWTH’
- 22,000 22,000 JOBS GENERATED BY LAMBETH’S CREATIVE AND TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES
- 30M VISITORS 30 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR TO THE SOUTH BANK — HOME TO INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
- 21 NPOS 21 ARTS COUNCIL NATIONAL PORTFOLIO ORGANISATIONS IN THE BOROUGH
- £1.8BN GVA £1.8 BILLION GVA GENERATED LOCALLY BY LAMBETH’S CREATIVE AND TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES