15 Mar Mayor of London’s OPDC awards £150,000 funding to ten local creatives in Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone

Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) and Ealing Council have
announced ten successful projects who will receive funding as part of the Open Call for
Ideas for the Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ).

The Mayor launched his Creative Enterprise Zones programme in 2018 and has invested
£14m to help areas across the capital to support artists and creative businesses, find permanent and affordable space to work, provide support to new creative businesses and improve access to creative sector skills and employment. The ground-breaking initiative has already established nearly 1,000 creative apprenticeships, training and work placements across London, and by 2025 will have increased new, permanent, affordable workspace by more than 65,000sqm.

The Open Call for Ideas was developed in partnership with Ealing Council to support the
creative industry in the area and enable the wider community to access opportunities across
the creative sector.

Over £150,000 of funding has now been awarded to support projects that will focus on
delivering affordable community and creative spaces, developing creative talent and a digital
network platform. The successful projects represent the diversity of Acton and Park Royal,
with 82% of the projects being run by minority ethnic, female, LGBTQIA, and disabled led
organisations.

The Acton and Park Royal CEZ unlocks unique opportunities for homegrown creative
industries, artists, and businesses by driving investment into the amazing creative talent that
the area holds, as well as providing much needed funding to kick-start creative projects.

The ten awardees are:
• Excelsior Studios; creating a new affordable space that will be home to the CEZ
Hub, accessible by local creatives and businesses
• MAMA Youth Project; joining forces with reputable film studio, Garden Studios to
deliver a digital media production training course for young people from
underrepresented and challenging backgrounds
• Bollo Brook Youth Centre; working with young people to produce a film about the
area’s tea houses and creativity
• A LOOK INTO; delivering 10-month workshop programme on accessing the film
industry and gaining tangible skills to secure work experience and employment
• Form and Beyond; curating the first-of-its-kind market event that will develop
connections in the local area, promoting goods, services and materials to the local
community.
• W3 Hive; using Re’Store and EX2 Studio to host pop-ups, events, talks and
workshops to promote the circular economy and makers in Acton and Park Royal
• ARTification and Pati Starzykowski; engaging the community in the creation of two
public art installations within the local area
• Hikayetna (meaning Our Story); hosting Park Royal Nights events giving
opportunities for storytelling, poetry, music and inspiration within the community
• Loom Projects; creating of the first Park Royal Womens’ Group providing a safe
space for women to gather, share, collaborate and support women who live and work
in the area
• Park Royal Design District; developing a central website to grow and build a
directory of creative businesses, local events calendar, interactive map and creative
research into a procurement platform.

To find out more about the Acton and Park Royal CEZ, please click here.

David Lunts, OPDC CEO, said: “Acton and Park Royal is home to some of the capital’s most interesting and creative artists, makers and producers. As the Mayor’s development corporation for regenerating the area, we’re investing in and supporting local people and businesses. The ten recipients of the Open Call for Ideas represent the innovative and inspiring spirit of Acton and Park Royal and we look forward to working with them to deliver these fantastic initiatives.”

Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “There is such a wealth of talent in the borough and it’s so encouraging to see it coming to life within our Creative Enterprise Zone. This is a brilliant scheme to be part of, it encourages these businesses to grow, share ideas and develop new talents. Congratulations to all the successful applicants and it is fantastic to see such a rich diversity of business leaders driving forward these exciting and invigorating projects.”

The Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: “Congratulations to the 10 recipients who demonstrate the breadth of creative talent in the Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone.

“It’s more vital than ever that we get behind our city’s world leading creative industries and I
am really proud of the difference the Mayor’s Creative Enterprise Zones are making to
London’s creative community.

“These projects don’t just give young people an opportunity to experience the creative
industries but uplift and benefit the wider local community and help us build a more vibrant
London for everyone.”

Bob Clarke, CEO & Founder MAMA Youth Project (pictured), said: “MAMA Youth Project is delighted to have been selected to be part of Creative Enterprise Zone. An inspiring initiative, The Open Call for Ideas aligns with our ethos for tangible change and Park Royal has been at the heart of our charity since its inception, so it’s a poignant privilege to be able to give back to such a special community.

“As a Media Inclusion charity committed to giving opportunities to underrepresented groups,
we transform the lives of young people who have limited educational and work opportunities
by getting them trained and employed in the TV and digital media industry. We give them the
opportunity to have a meaningful career that allows them to become self-sustainable, often
taking them out of the benefit system and turning them into positive role models for their
peers. Myself and all the team at MAMA Youth Project are extremely grateful for this
opportunity and excited by the prospective potential of collaborating with CEZ.”

Rachel Pepper, Director of ARTification, said: Rachel Pepper, Director of ARTification, said: “We are delighted to be contributing to the Creative Enterprise Zone and are pleased that we have been successful in our proposal to work on the ‘ARTification and Pati Starzykowski Community art installation’.

“Our approach to placemaking aims to democratise the processes and include local voices in public art making. The project, delivered in partnership with local artist Pati, involves explorations through pop-up events & forming ideas about what we wish to create. We will work with local communities and public artists, to deliver tasters, training sessions, create public art, and hold celebratory events and exhibitions.”