Hackney Wick and Lower Lea Valley Creative Enterprise Zone
London Creative Enterprise Zones is the Mayor of London’s initiative to support artists, makers and creatives to put down roots in the capital and access London’s affordable creative workspace.
Started in 2018, the Creative Enterprise Zone is co-delivered by Hackney Council and Tower Hamlets Council in partnership with the GLA and local partners, like the Hackney Wick Fish Island Community Development Trust.
In 2025, the Hackney Wick Fish Island Creative Enterprise Zone expanded its boundary into the Lower Lea Valley, and renewed its designation becoming the Hackney Wick and Lower Lea Valley Creative Enterprise Zone.
The area continues to evolve fast, but its creative spirit remains strong. Hackney Wick is one of the world’s most recognisable creative communities in London, and 96% of all creative businesses based in the zone represent the creative production sector. The Zone is also becoming known as an innovation and circular economy cluster.
The zone supports the business community through change and fast-paced regeneration, and aims to:
Promote the area as a top creative and cultural cluster in London
Boost the resilience of the cluster and manage regeneration benefits
Support local businesses, welcome new ones, encourage investment
Increase opportunities for residents to learn creative skills and find employment in the creative sector.
The programme provides tailored non-financial business support to Zone-based spaces of creative production, cultural organisations and community across access to affordable space, funding opportunities, skills and capability development.
Although the CEZ doesn’t directly deliver affordable workspace, it is a consultee on relevant planning policies and strategic initiatives as well as planning applications in the zone.
Hackney Wick and Lower Lea Valley Creative Enterprise Zone boundary
The HWLLV CEZ is a part of the Mayor of London’s integrated offer to artists, creatives and spaces for culture. It leverages the GLA’s suit of resources and the wider 12 -strong CEZ network in London to connect local creative and business community with opportunities and partners.
The Zone can signpost to Borough-level services and resources, as well as to a wider suit of London, national and international resources, programmes and Business support where relevant.
Supporting public events in the Zone, including free to attend cultural experiences and activations, while generating paid opportunities for local creatives and access to experience and training for residents and community organisations.
Using data and research to champion and advocate for the local creative and cultural sector. The programme also facilitates sharing of ideas, expertise, and best practice by working with researchers, academia, industry bodies, international and local think tanks etc.
Support for creative spaces, organisations and communities
Further info about the CEZ programme for creative and cultural organisations:
Examples of past business support programmes
By repurposing underutilised council-owned buildings, The Baths and Depot sites and the nearby Trowbridge Gardens, we created new affordable workspaces as part of Wick Workspaces programme. This included new amenities for residents and businesses, such as work and training facilities, music and cultural events, food growing and community gardening.
Wick Workspaces
London Made Me is a flagship London Creative Enterprise Zone programme offer to Zones-based creatives across all 12 London Zones. This annual retail accelerator provides cohorts of creatives with the opportunity to learn the ropes of high street retail and launch their own collective pop-up shop. The programme is currently under review and is expected to re-launch in 2027 in a new format.
London Made Me
In 2024-2025, Hackney Council delivered a Creative Enterprise Zone Capital Sustainability Grant programme. The £100k grant programme supported local creative businesses resilience and delivered measures to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.