Creative Estuary is delighted to announce the recipients of the Thurrock Creative Infrastructure Development and Creative Community Capital Awards, recognising and investing in individuals, organisations, and initiatives that are shaping the future of Thurrock’s creative and community landscape.

The Thurrock Creative Infrastructure Programme, a partnership between Creative Estuary and Thurrock Council, aims to strengthen the local creative sector by drawing on local expertise to meet the needs of artists, creatives, and cultural organisations. The programme supports freelancers and creative businesses through grants and bespoke skills development opportunities, delivered via three targeted grants: A Creative Development Grant for 18–30-year-olds, an Enterprise Grant, and a Creative Community Small Capital Grant.

The Thurrock Creative Development and Creative Community Capital Awards support local creative and community organisations to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and deliver projects with lasting social and economic impact, building on Creative Estuary’s work to grow the region’s creative economy and empower communities through resources, collaboration, and visibility.

To further equip Thurrock creatives, Creative Estuary is partnering with social enterprise Creative United to support economic growth and social impact together. Thurrock has joined the growing network of locations involved in Re:Create, Creative United’s creative business support programme. Re:Create is designed to empower artists, creative freelancers and small enterprises to develop and thrive. Through this partnership, grant awardees and local creatives in Thurrock will gain free access to Creative United’s on-demand Re:Create Business Skills E-learning course until end of February 2026. This on-demand toolkit covers core topics such as business planning, funding, resilience, marketing, and e-commerce. Those interested simply need to complete a short eligibility form using their Thurrock-based postcode to receive a 100% discount code.

Caggy Kerlogue, Creative Assets and Place Manager, Creative Estuary said:

“We’re very pleased to be working in partnership with Thurrock Council and Creative United to deliver these programmes. Creative Estuary’s learning, from our work on the ground is that there is a small but growing creative ecology in Thurrock. Our programmes will support the emerging and developing creative sector to really drive forward change and transformation in their communities. With our help, local creatives will attain the skills, tools and resources to build sustainable business platforms, strengthen creative career pathways for emerging talent, and build on the legacy of Thurrock’s existing creative infrastructure.”

Sarah Thirtle, Director of Strategic Development at Creative United said:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Creative Estuary, bringing our Re:Create business support programme to Thurrock. At Creative United, we believe artists and creative enterprises make valuable contributions to their local economies and communities. However, many struggle with precarious income or experience barriers to opportunities. Bespoke one-to-one mentoring and on-demand training, designed with creatives in mind, can unlock growth and impact. This is why we’re excited to be partnering with Creative Estuary, to bring Re:Create to Thurrock.”

Following a competitive application process, six awardees have been selected to receive funding, mentoring, and strategic support.

The Thurrock Creative Development Grant awardees are:

• Emily Moon: An illustrator and animator with a First-Class Honours degree in Illustration from Falmouth University, whose work explores themes of nostalgia, nature, and folklore through handmade, tactile techniques such as textiles, collage, and paint, capturing the magic in the everyday with a distinctive, crafted charm.
• Courteney Emans: A textile artist who creates naturally dyed fabrics and jewellery handcrafted from real flowers, using organic, home-grown materials and plant-based dyes such as yarrow, marigold, and eucalyptus to produce unique, sustainable accessories that celebrate and preserve the beauty of the natural world.
• Laurel Jumeau: A designer developing Jesta, a bittersweet fashion brand exploring the tension between humour and sadness through nostalgic colours, clown-inspired imagery, and embroidered designs that express the emotions behind smiling through struggle.

The Thurrock Creative Community Capital Grant awardees are:

• Coda Dance Company: An award-winning, female- and disability-led dance company founded in 2013 by Nikki Watson, creating inclusive dance for people with neurological conditions through participatory projects, lived experience collaboration, and immersive digital technology.
• Purfleet Community Pantry and café: A volunteer-run community hub tackling food insecurity and social isolation by providing affordable groceries, warm meals, and a welcoming space that fosters dignity, connection, and hope through local solidarity and action.
• The Complete Commedia Co: A theatre company bringing sixteenth-century Italian commedia dell’arte to life through slapstick, clowning, and community collaboration, empowering young people from under-represented backgrounds and making high-quality, locally rooted theatre that belongs to, and is created with, its community.

Each awardee has demonstrated exceptional creativity, ambition, and commitment to Thurrock’s future. You can meet the awardees here.

You can also read about our Thurrock Creative Enterprise grant awardees, announced this summer, here.

Notes to Editors:

CREATIVE ESTUARY supports the growth of the creative and cultural industries across North Kent and South Essex, transforming the region into one of the most dynamic creative clusters in the UK. Through investment, collaboration, and skills development, Creative Estuary is helping to unlock the area’s potential as a powerhouse for creativity and innovation.

CREATIVE UNITED is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting creative livelihoods. We provide a range of programmes and business services that enable the development and sustainability of organisations, enterprises and individual artists and makers operating within the creative industries. Our vision is for artists, creative enterprises, and cultural organisations to have access to the specialist skills, professional advice and services they need to achieve their ambitions for growth and impact within their communities. www.creativeunited.org.uk