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Grow your creative business, together.
A new practical business support programme for creative businesses in the region, designed to connect you with tangible support, tailored 1:1 mentoring and a peer network of creative business owners who understand what it’s like to run organisations.
Running a creative business means balancing client work with marketing, pricing, planning and finding the next opportunity. Create East Sussex gives you space to step back, meet people who understand the reality of running a creative business, and take practical next steps. Start with a free connect session near you.
Limited spaces!
What is it
Create East Sussex is a free business support programme designed to deliver tangible outputs for your business and connect you with experienced mentors and local peers. The programme brings creative businesses together through collaborative hands-on workshops called ‘Connects’, alongside tailored 1:1 mentoring from seasoned founders who have built and scaled creative enterprises themselves.
Whether you join practical sessions or access targeted 1:1 guidance, you will become part of a growing network of creative founders, sole traders, and freelancers across East Sussex. You can collaborate, share ideas for the region’s creative industries, and build lasting relationships with mentors, peers, and our team.
Come together with other local founders to explore a real business challenge, share ideas and leave with useful next steps. Each Connect combines practical activity, useful input and time to meet people facing similar challenges.
Topics may include pricing, finding customers, marketing, funding, AI tools and growing with confidence.
Connects are the best place to start and can help us understand whether mentoring would be useful for your business.
If mentoring is the right next step, we’ll work with you on the challenge that matters most to your business.
Support may include Studio Zao-led accountability and delivery coaching, broader business advice, or an introduction to an experienced creative peer depending on your needs.
You do not need to have all the answers before you apply. If you cannot attend a Connect, you can register your interest in mentoring directly and we will get in touch to understand your situation.
Can’t make it to a Connect? Email us and we’ll set you up with a business diagnostic instead.
Not sure if you fit? Get in touch and we’ll help you work it out.
Mentors
Mentoring connects you directly with people who’ve built creative businesses themselves, delivered by experienced business-growth practitioners, with volunteer creative peers joining the mentoring offer over time. Your support will be shaped around what your business needs, not a one-size-fits-all programme.
Associate Director, Studio Zao
20+ years helping businesses unleash their potential and reach meaningful, impactful goals. Sara has mentored and supported over 1,000 businesses, organisations, charities and individuals through SC Training & Consultancy, Studio Zao and Oxford Innovation.
Director, Studio Zao
12+ years leading innovation and growth support in the public, private and academic sectors, including supporting 120+ SMEs across different industries. Chris has mentored a large number of creative start-ups, SMEs and scaled creative businesses, and is well-connected to creative networks across academia (including UAL, Kingston University, and UCL), in coastal communities such as Torbay, and in London.
Creative Director, Minycled
Fashion entrepreneur and business mentor with a track record of building an independent sustainable fashion brand from scratch, including running an approved pop-up within John Lewis. Karen has mentored emerging designers, start-ups and creative founders through Creative UK Devon, IMPACT Torbay, Kickstart and university placements with Exeter and Plymouth, and now works one-to-one with creative businesses on branding, product development and turning ideas into commercially viable ventures.
MD & Co-owner, Bigwave Marketing
Leads a B Corp certified marketing agency of 55+ specialists across advertising, content, paid media, SEO and web development, supporting public sector, charity and purpose-led clients across the UK and Ireland. Simon holds an eMBA and was part of the first UK cohort of Google’s Squared Online programme, and sits on the Devon and Torbay CCA Business Advisory Board and the Devon Chamber Torbay Business Board as a founding member of the Torbay Creative Cluster.
Chair, Queer Croydon
Community organiser with a track record of growing Queer Croydon, a grassroots LGBTQ+ organisation, from community-led cultural activity into an established organisation delivering year-round services and programmes across Croydon and South London. Her experience spans community building, fundraising, partnership development and advocacy, and she brings practical experience of creating inclusive cultural and wellbeing spaces and building the partnerships that let LGBTQ+ and community-led projects grow their reach and impact.
Director, SC Training & Consultancy
10+ years supporting SMEs with marketing, business development and training. Candi understands first-hand the challenges of running and growing a small business in an ever-changing environment. She is passionate about self-development and helps business owners build their confidence, strengthen their marketing and turn ideas into practical action.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Leader
10+ years as an innovation and business growth consultant, supporting start-ups, SMEs and creative businesses. Sam helps founders clarify their direction, strengthen their business models and turn ambitious ideas into practical plans for growth, with particular expertise in strategy, customer insight and investment readiness. She brings a supportive but constructively challenging approach, helping business owners step back, identify what is holding them back and decide what to do next.
Event calendar
Free, practical two-hour sessions in locations across East Sussex. Each Connect has limited places, so sign up to the one near you or the one you can get to, using the link or button below on Eventbrite.
More Connects run twice a month from October to December, in person and online. Stay tuned!
About our Team
Studio Zao delivers creative innovation programmes that help creative businesses and organisations test, prove and scale bold ideas.
Create East Sussex came about through conversations with local creatives about the need for more community, industry connections and networking. It’s one of these creative programmes, funded by the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority and East Sussex County Council and managed by East Sussex County Council, so more creative businesses across the county can get that support.
300
businesses supported
1200
mentoring hours delivered
95
would recommend
We’re a nimble team focused on making good creative ideas happen.
Our track record includes working on creative programmes with the public sector and SMEs. We keep everything grounded in real-world experience, not theory.
Our approach is people-first: understanding customers and users is at the heart of finding real solutions.
We believe successful creative growth comes from entrepreneurial mindsets: testing, learning, and staying solution-oriented.
We help creative businesses turn ideas into investable, scalable opportunities through programmes, coaching and hands-on support.
From accelerators in Devon and Croydon to market programmes and projects in Tower Hamlets and Kingston, we support creative teams to test, prove and scale what works.
We also equip the public sector and creative organisations with practical tools and entrepreneurial methods so they can keep creating new opportunities long after we’ve gone.
We’ve supported hundreds of creative businesses to secure funding, launch products and grow with confidence.
We’ve worked with everyone from independent studios and night-time venues to social enterprises and creative start-ups, helping with raising investment, positioning new offers and testing ideas with customers.
Backed by our creative innovation and growth expertise, we’ve delivered with partners including Innovate UK, UKSPF-funded councils, UKRI and Sport England.
What a fabulous bunch of people, genuine, enthusiastic and energetic. Love you guys!
Jill Bird & Branch
I found the customer validation activity very useful, learnt a lot, and you have all been great!
Oliver Brave Production Studio
This gave me a framework to think about problems, encourage my colleagues to raise them, and prioritise in a logical, resilient way.
Hugh Save the World Club
The coaching was very beneficial for us, thank you!
Daniel Indie Brand Builder
The structured worksheets and coaching sessions were particularly useful for us, thanks!
Peter Insignia Creative
A free Connect session, access to the local network, and where appropriate up to four hours of tailored 1:1 mentoring.
Mentoring places are limited, so not everyone who registers is guaranteed one. Everyone who registers stays connected to Connects and the wider network either way.
Connects are the best place to start because they help us understand your business and what support would be most useful. If you cannot attend, you can still register your interest in mentoring directly.
Can’t make it to a Connect but still want mentoring? Email us and we’ll set you up with a business diagnostic instead.
Connects last two hours. Mentoring is up to four hours in total, arranged around your needs and availability.
Yes. Connects, mentoring and network participation are free.
We will contact you with details for the Connect you signed up to. If mentoring looks like the right next step, we will arrange a conversation to understand your priorities and discuss the available support.
No. Mentoring places are limited and offered where there is a good fit, so not everyone who signs up will get one. Everyone who registers can still stay connected to Connects and the wider network.
Register
Sign up to our Connects and explore whether mentoring could support your business.
Register for a ConnectIt takes a couple of minutes. We will be in touch once your place is confirmed!
Can’t make it to a Connect but still want mentoring? Email us and we’ll set you up with a business diagnostic instead.
Could your experience help another creative business grow?
We’re looking for experienced creative business owners and professionals to volunteer as mentors with Create East Sussex. You’ll be matched with a local creative business and provide practical, one-to-one support to help them work through challenges, build confidence and move their business forward.
You’ll need:
Interested? Sign up to become a Create East Sussex Volunteer Mentor.