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The programme

Creative Estuary has been awarded a Place Partnership Project Grant of £1.15m by Arts Council England to continue to deliver the ambitious vision to transform the Thames Estuary into one of the world’s most exciting creative industry clusters. This work builds on the successful delivery of the Cultural Development Fund project delivered between April 2019 – March 2023.

The Creative Estuary team facilitate and create the opportunities that build skills and capacity in the cultural sector to grow its social and economic impact through:

  • strategic leadership and vision
  • connections and brokerage
  • commissioned research to provide a robust evidence base
  • skills, expertise and capacity
  • place brand and campaign
  • fundraising – support and expert input for partners’ bids
  • exploration of new models and future partnerships
  • influencing local & national policy
  • symposia and events to share learning and build the region’s profile

As one of the original Thames Estuary Production Corridor (TEPC) consortium members and the programme lead for the first phase of Creative Estuary, the University of Kent is hosting the second phase of Creative Estuary. Based within the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (iCCi) on the Medway campus, the Creative Estuary team will draw on and enhance the University of Kent’s significant place-based expertise, developing partnerships with colleagues to inform policy for the creative industries in our region over the next three years and beyond.

400 new jobs

Our programme will transform the visibility, identity and future of the area’s creative production infrastructure, supporting more than 400 new jobs.

£100bn per year

The creative and cultural industries contribute more than £100bn per year to the UK economy, helping to attract investment, catalyse innovation, and enhance distinctive places and communities.

Our mission

Creative Estuary’s deeply networked programme builds leadership, capacity and space for creative production, accelerating the cultural impact of the Thames Estuary.

Our values

We are ambitious – we take risks, we drive action, we champion social justice.

We are curious – we explore new ideas, we ask provocative questions, we respond imaginatively, we initiate.

We are collaborative – we enable, we work in partnership, we create connections, we have integrity.

We are resilient – we are environmentally responsible, we build sustainable futures, we are agile.