North Paddington Creative Enterprise Zone

Photo credit: James O Jenkins

Creative Enterprise Zones are an initiative from the Mayor of London to designate areas of London where artists and creative businesses can:

• find permanent affordable space to work
• are supported to start-up and grow
• where local people are helped to learn creative sector skills and access pathways to employment

Launching the zone

North Paddington is among several new areas to be designated as a Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ). Becoming a CEZ sees the area granted £170,000 funding from the Mayor of London, to celebrate creativity and culture in North Paddington.

The CEZ will support existing arts and cultural institutions, as well as connecting and opening opportunities for local people. It will also bolster the council's North Paddington programme which seeks to address the long-standing social-economic and health challenges in the northwest of the borough.

The vision for the North Paddington Zone is for a place where creative production grows, is sustainable, and accessible for all. And where people are empowered to develop their talent and reach their potential.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Adam Hug said:

Westminster is full of talented people with the ideas to thrive in creative industries. By designating North Paddington a Creative Enterprise Zone, the Mayor of London, the council and our local partners are revealing a world of untapped potential - providing space for our communities to explore new opportunities in the creative sector and support for existing business.

Photo credit: James O Jenkins·

What do Creative Enterprise Zones do?

 

Creative Enterprise Zones have four pillars:

1. Space: creating permanent, affordable, creative workspace and live-work spaces at below-market rents and ensuring no net loss of space.
2. Providing skills and business support: building entrepreneurial skills and offering business support to artists, start-ups, sole traders, micro-sized and small businesses, developing career pathways and opportunities for progression into the creative industries and supporting sectors.
3. Policy: development and delivery of proactive policy approaches which support artists and creatives in Local Plans, housing and business rates policies.
4. Community engagement and socially inclusive places: embedding creative production in communities, creating socially inclusive places and strong links with education providers.

Where the zone will be

The zone covers three wards: Westbourne, Harrow Road and Queens Park.

A diverse multicultural and multi-faith area, these wards are home to 44,000 residents, 24% of them aged 19 and under. This represents a high concentration of young people for a London neighbourhood in zone 2.

Through the CEZ, we want to continue to tackle the diversity challenges in the creative industries and ensure people from Global Majority heritages are better represented.

Advisory group

To drive the vision and strategy of the North Paddington Creative Enterprise Zone, we are creating an advisory group to develop the future of the programme, ensuring the creative community is supported, and the zone has a sustainable legacy. 

We are currently recruiting for people to join the group.

Find out more and apply to the group

North Paddington Creates

North Paddington Creative Enterprise Zone will be inviting local organisations, artists and creatives to deliver arts, culture, heritage and creative activities in North Paddington. 

Grants will support locally rooted and delivered creative events and activities. The aim is to showcase local creativity, improve pride in the local area, increase footfall and attract visitors to the area through cultural programming. 

Projects can cover a broad range of initiatives including workshops, tours, creative training, festivals, exhibitions, performances and screenings across Westbourne, Harrow Road and Queens Park. Events and activities are to take place between July 2024 and February 2025.

We have a total fund available of £50,000 to support events, funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Applicants will be able to apply for grants between £1,000 and £10,000 for the delivery of each event or programme of activities. 

More information and details of how to apply will be announced shortly in Spring 2024.

Interested in hearing more and be notified when applications open? Sign up to our newsletter for updates 

Get involved

Get involved today and help us shape the vision for the Creative Enterprise Zone:

• Sign up for our newsletter
• Get in touch with us at [email protected] 
• Follow news from London's Creative Enterprise Zones at London Made Me