Here East - building the heart of the creative industries in east London

Above: exterior of Here East (courtesy UCL)

Future Cities Forum is delighted that the CEO of Here East, Gavin Poole, and Laura-Jane Filotrani, Associate Dean at Staffordshire University London - now based at Here East - will join our 'Creative Cities' discussions at the BFI this month.

They will be discussing the latest ideas in skills development for the creative industries and how Here East is attracting a growing number of innovation companies, that want to take space in this exciting hub in east London.

Here East is on the site of the former Press and Broadcast centres of the 2012 Olympics. It now provides dedicated and versatile space for start-ups and entrepreneurs to co-exist and collaborate with top global businesses and world-renowned academic institutions, in order to deliver innovation and to bring a lasting Olympic legacy to East London.

It is now the fastest growing cluster of creative businesses in the Capital, with tenants such as Studio Wayne McGregor, MATCHESFASHION.com, Ford Smart Mobility, Sports Interactive, Plexal and The Trampery on the Gantry, 21 studios for artists and designers.CEO

In 2019, Staffordshire University branched out its award winning higher education to the European capital of technology with the launch of Staffordshire University London. The institution offers a specialist selection of undergraduate and postgraduate courses designed to corner the industries of tomorrow, including games, cyber security and esports.

This state-of-the-art space within Here East acts as a hub of collaboration, education, and houses the latest digital facilities, including a fully operational esports arena, a control room, studio suites, and multiple dynamic learning spaces.

In further developments, Here East recently announced that film industry innovators Hawk London are joining the creators and collaborators based on campus. Hawk is an industry leader in high-end cinematography. Well known in the sector, its products are highly sought after by directors of photography and those involved in film making, especially for large screen formats. Hawk has worked on major motion projects ranging from Star Wars to The Little Mermaid.