How one square mile of the UK has become a hub of creativity

With a rich history in arts, music, film, advertising, television and fashion, Soho has long established its reputation as the centre of creativity in London – and arguably the world.

Now predominantly made up of media and technology offices, production and editing studios, Soho is still a global hub for freethinkers and rulebreakers, with potentially the highest concentration of creative professionals within in a square mile on the planet. For the creative industries, the work done in Soho is often leading the work done across the world. It is a very powerful and impactful place.

Over the past few years I’ve been fortunate to work with an organisation called SohoCreate – in fact, today I am a board member. With talent clusters cropping up across the city (and across the country), SohoCreate has been established to publicise and celebrate Soho’s rich creative history, attracting further investment in nurturing, maintaining and developing the square mile as a hub for creative talent in London.

As such, SohoCreate boasts the biggest collective conversation about creativity in the country. For a week in June each year, they run an engaging festival of talks, debates, workshops, open houses, pop-ups, parties and more in Soho, bringing together top minds from across the creative industry – this year, SohoCreate Festival takes place from June 6 to June 10 in Soho Square.

The festival offers an invaluable opportunity for creative personnel and businesses to get together, share and discuss ideas. I’m a strong believer that to get far in this industry, networking and building long-term relationships with peers and influencers is key, which is why Microsoft is supporting the festival.

Using my own knowledge, experience and contacts in the creative sector, the team at SohoCreate and I are constantly looking to develop and grow the Festival and celebrate the diversity of creative industries on our doorstep. SohoCreate is so important to the likes of Microsoft, who are constantly innovating to achieve the best experiences for our audiences, and that requires the industry’s freshest talent.

While the Festival is a focal point, there are a number of smaller events throughout the year which are hosted by SohoCreate. By joining as a member, you’ll get access to seminars designed to give both professionals and businesses cross-industry insights, inspiring new ideas, approaches and partnerships.

Register here for more information on June’s programme and hopefully we’ll see you there.