East Sussex is home to some of the best arts and culture in the world. The coastal strip forms an important part of England’s Creative Coast – a dynamic ecosystem stretching from Brighton to Margate showcasing the South East’s exceptional art and culture.

Hastings and Rother have been named the UK’s newest Music City while the Coastal Culture Trail links seventeen miles of beautiful East Sussex coastline via three award-winning contemporary art galleries, Towner in Eastbourne, the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill and the Jerwood Gallery in Hastings.

Innovation charity NESTA, recently identified Eastbourne and Hastings as hotspots for thriving creative industries with high potential for growth.

While our creative professionals are predominantly based along the coastal strip, Lewes has the highest density of registered creative businesses in East Sussex largely attributed to the influence of Glyndebourne and some spillover from Brighton.

The most recent economic impact assessment found that Glyndebourne generates £11m GVA to the East Sussex economy each year through its highly specialised supply chain of musicians, costume makers, set designers and builders and production staff, in addition to the exceptional contribution it makes to the visitor economy.

A-Z of creative networks

Creative communities in East Sussex operate across digital, media and technology as well as the arts, television and film, design, architecture, photography, illustration, advertising, communications, music production and more.

Find out about each of the groups below, some of which offer studio space, and visit our property page to search for coworking and other workspace.

Blue Monkey Network | Towner
An Eastbourne-based network run by artists in partnership with Towner, the Blue Monkey Network provides opportunities for professional and creative development for artists and helps ensure the local arts community remains strong and vibrant, sustainable and productive.

Devonshire Collective
A creative and cultural hub in Eastbourne, the Devonshire Collective offers studios, maker spaces, print room facilities, gallery and café for artists, community members and the wider public.

Hastings Arts Forum
Hastings Arts Forum is a registered charity and members’ organisation working to support the arts locally and regionally. The forum provides exhibition space at the Gallery at Hastings Arts Forum for all of its members to exhibit their work to the local community.

Hastings Creatives
A free resource for local creatives to add information about what they do, Hastings Creatives is an established directory used by those seeking creative services in Hastings and surrounding areas including Battle, Bexhill and Rye.

Making Lewes
Organises and runs live projects, workshops, talks, seminars, exhibitions, film screenings and further events with the aim of creating a dialogue between the local community and the wider national and international community of designers, makers and thinkers. Making Lewes is a community organisation that promotes the exchange of knowledge in the fields of making, architecture, design and sustainability.

PhotoHastings
Collective of photographers and members organisation that delivers a festival programme, regular talks, exhibitions, workshops and mentoring.

Rye Creative Centre
Rye Creative Centre is a cultural hub and outstanding studio facility for over 30 residents known collectively as New Road Artists. The Centre offers a dynamic programme of events, exhibitions and workshops for adults and young people throughout the year and boasts an art room, gallery and print room – all available to hire.

Wired Sussex
Wired Sussex is a membership organisation and for anyone in gaming, web, mobile, software, animation, television, music, film or online advertising, it delivers a wide range of services and digital events as well as offering a recruitment site supporting companies and freelancers in the digital, media and tech sector.

If you run or know of any suitable networking groups in East Sussex that you’d like us to list here, please email the details to stacey.pretty@locateeastsussex.org.uk

Financial planning doesn’t come easily to everyone. As a creative business owner or freelancer, building your client base, winning new clients, while you’re concentrating on developing your practice is often the priority. But as a creative, you want to figure out how to optimise what you earn to make more time to create. That’s where financial planning helps.

While financial planning is not a replacement for sound financial advice or a good account, it is the beginning of good business practice and will provide you with peace of mind.

Locate East Sussex has experts who are used to working with creatives. We also run free financial planning events for creative businesses to upskill. To find out when the next event is visit our events page.

Universities and colleges in East Sussex are turning out some of the very best creative talent and collectively East Sussex College Group, the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex are kick-starting careers in all aspects of the creative, media and digital industries.

These institutions are renowned for the calibre of foundation training and their lively and dynamic experimental approach to the teaching of creative subjects at degree and post-graduate level. Specialisms cover all aspects of creative, digital and media industries including game design, animation, broadcast media, filmmaking, digital post-production, television production, journalism, art and design, architecture, illustration and creative content production for VR. Graduates progress to enjoy successful and fulfilling careers within the industry.

Visit our Education and Training page