The opportunity

Hackney’s Creative sector is young yet already world-renowned. The process that began 10 years ago in Shoreditch is continuing further into Hackney itself and transformations are happening in not only the creative industries across Hackney but in the very nature of the borough itself. Artists of all shapes and sizes have flooded into Hackney and the once dilapidated Shoreditch is swiftly becoming a world-class cultural asset and production house for London’s Creative Industries. The artists who first saw the opportunity in Shoreditch some time ago still have their galleries in the area here but now mingle with the digital design businesses clustered around ‘silicon roundabout’ near Old Street tube, architects, recording studios, performing arts academies, city businesses and a host of other sectors who recognize the area as one of London’s premier business destinations.

Hackney has a number of other more affordable locations for businesses who want the proximity to Europe’s Creative hub to access the talent, keep tabs on the latest innovators and ideas coming out, but cannot afford the rents of Shoreditch. The borough’s assets are finally being seriously opened up to commercial operators with the East London Line providing fertile ground up the Kingsland Road to Dalston station. Many of the developments along this stretch have been designed with creative companies in mind and the commercial space that they have to offer has a variety of sizes, at affordable prices with good natural light and terms for creative companies.

Hackney Central and the adjacent London Fields already house a number of serious creative operators, particularly amongst the flagship Hothouse development, a dedicated managed workspace for creative businesses of all shapes and sizes. Opportunities abound for more “price sensitive” creative companies in this area where there is a large amount of more affordable space of suitable sizes for small creative companies.