Creative sector enjoys economic boost thanks to partnership
A DECADE-long partnership has seen a £10million investment in the south east creative sector as well as the generation of more than 4,000 jobs.
The South East Creative Economy Network (SECEN) has published its ‘10 Years Catalysing Growth 2015-2025’ report which outlines how the industry has benefited from the partnership between creative businesses, educational bodies and local authorities - including East Sussex County Council.
SECEN, which works to accelerate growth in the digital, creative and cultural sector has, in the last ten years, boosted the creative and tourism industries in East Sussex, Greater Essex, Kent and Medway.
According to the report, since 2015 there has been a 4.5 per cent annual growth rate in creative sector employment in the region.
Councillor Penny di Cara, lead member for economy at East Sussex County Council, said: “I am delighted to see how the creative sector in East Sussex has benefited from vital SECEN-backed business support programmes during the past ten years.
“With the help of these schemes, the creative sector across the county has continued to grow and this will have a lasting positive impact for years to come. Local enterprises have not only benefited from securing funding and support from business investors and experts, but they have also been able to connect to and be part of a wider creative network, which also contributes to sustaining our thriving creative industries.”
The SECEN report highlights the different initiatives which have offered businesses, including those in East Sussex, advice and support to become investment ready.
Create South East is one such initiative launched by East Sussex County Council in 2022 with funding by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Run by a partnership of 13 local and unitary authorities and organisations across Essex, Kent and Sussex, it has so far supported 100 businesses from creative sectors including film making, publishing, audio visual design, visual arts and animation.
Included in the list of most recent East Sussex business to join the Create South East’s ‘Investment Readiness’ programme are Chalk Productions; Drop Dead Films; GoPhysics; Kult Media; Recursive AV Ltd; A Beautiful Place To Get Lost; Diamond Minds; ColorQ; Favame Ltd and Review of Sussex Arts Magazine.
David Yeates, CEO of Recursive, a multi-disciplined design and development studio, said before accessing support from Create South East, the business had reached a glass ceiling. Now, he said, he feels more informed about investment options and how these could work alongside their organic growth process.
He added: “Programme mentorship has been the most valuable element of this process. Having someone else look into your business in an unbiased way with insights and knowledge of common business growing pains, was extremely useful.”
Further East Sussex-based businesses have been able to secure funding via other SECEN-backed initiatives, such as Bexhill-based Beeching Road Studios, which received £960,000 through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) Local Growth Fund programme. In addition, The Creative Hub in Fisher Street, Lewes, received £250,000 of funding from the SELEP - Getting Building Fund programme.
The SECEN report also highlights that programmes have helped to foster ‘creative clusters,’ which in turn have seen businesses grow in smaller towns and rural areas, such as the South Downs.
It added that SECEN had built ‘a shared purpose across a complex geography, working to connect and aggregate activities and has unlocked new investment which it ensures reaches the places and communities which show most promise. In doing so, SECEN has supported micro-clusters to flourish.’
To read the full report visit www.createsoutheast.org.uk/secen-release-10-years-of-catalysing-growth-report/
For more information about SECEN visit www.southeastlep.com/our-network/working-groups/south-east-creative-economy-network/
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Rebecca Durrant
Wednesday, 11 March 2026