Lewisham awarded £500,000 to boost local creative sector
Lewisham’s Creative Enterprise Zone has been awarded £500,000 funding to support the borough’s drive to economic recovery and open up opportunities for its residents, with £400,000 coming from City Hall and a further £100,000 investment from the council.
The funding will support 125 young Lewisham residents into employment, training and mentoring opportunities in the creative and digital industries through the Inspire Lewisham programme, which is led by Goldsmiths University.
Inspire Lewisham aims to improve diversity in the creative industries, focussing on providing placements for women, disabled people and residents from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Training is available to develop skills in media, 3D-scanning and virtual reality.
The programme will also work with local employers to support them in delivering training placements for residents, particularly those from under-represented groups which have been disproportionately affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.
As Lewisham gears up to be London Borough of Culture in 2022, this is a fantastic opportunity to inspire and build our future creative leaders while also working to reduce inequalities within the borough.
Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan said:
“I am delighted that Lewisham’s rapidly growing creative sector has been recognised by the Mayor of London through this new funding. This investment in Inspire Lewisham will support 125 young people into creative jobs, and we will focus on bringing women, disabled people and residents from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds into our creative and digital industries - driving employment, skills and innovation in Lewisham.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“The creative industries have the power to drive our social and economic recovery through innovation and job creation. That’s why I am delighted to announce this expansion of the work in my Croydon, Lambeth and Lewisham Creative Enterprise Zones. This new funding will bring a huge boost for skills, training and jobs in these areas, and be a catalyst for local economic recovery and growth.”
New Cross and Deptford was one of six Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZ) announced by the Mayor of London in 2018, which is focussed on supporting the local creative and digital sectors to grow. Learn more about the creative enterprise zone.
Young Lewisham residents who are interested in a career in the creative industries, and are not currently in work or education, can apply for the Inspire Lewisham programme via the Goldsmiths University website.