Page last updated at 13:16 GMT, Monday, October 31 2011

Creative Industries

The Borough of Eastleigh is fast becoming recognised as a cultural centre and an emerging hub for new artistic talent and creative industries in Hampshire and the wider South East Region. Through a variety of schemes and local projects the Council supports individuals and emerging career companies working in dance, theatre, music, digital media, design, media production, technical theatre, creative writing, marketing, designer fashion, crafts, and visual arts.

Creative Eastleigh Network

In 2010 the Culture Unit established a creative industries network group for artists and creative professionals living and working in the borough. Members receive information about new opportunities, invitations to network events, and e-news updates with all the latest news from the local creative industries sector. If you would like to join the Creative Eastleigh Network please email creativeeastleigh@eastleigh.gov.uk.

Supporting the development and growth of creative industries

Both The Point and The Berry Theatre programme a series of training activities for professionals working in various creative disciplines and both venues offer apprenticeships in technical theatre. The Point also offers apprenticeships in choreography, internships in dance administration and marketing, and host an annual creative careers day. The Point also has an associates scheme which supports emerging career companies in dance, theatre and digital media.

Eastleigh Business Centre at Wessex House provides supported office space for design, media production and other creative industries and as part of a new scheme the University of Southampton will support graduate start-up companies in graphic art and designer fashion.

A new partnership between the Council, ‘a-space’ the creative workspace agency and Southampton Solent University is also currently under discussion. This partnership will provide a new learning zone for enterprise and creative industries for start-up businesses working in crafts, design and fashion.

University research partnerships

Eastleigh takes an active role in supporting research into culture and creative industries at local universities. In 2010 the Culture Unit supported a research dissertation undertaken at the University of Southampton which recently received an award from the Regional Studies Association. The Unit is now supporting a PhD research programme at the University of Winchester.

For more information about creative industries please visit the Creative Eastleigh website.