Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has unveiled plans to transform the Thames Estuary into a hub for the creative and cultural industries with the creation of several large-scale “creative production facilities”.
The proposal, produced in conjunction with the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), spans seven London boroughs and the counties of Essex and Kent.
The vision document, which has been submitted to Lord Michael Heseltine, head of the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission, identifies the potential for several large-scale hubs.
The plans envisage the largest investment in industrial infrastructure since Canary Wharf was redeveloped in the 1980s.
The proposed developments include:
- London’s largest film studio complex in Dagenham.
- A national theatre-making studios complex in Bexley.
- A state-of-the-art facility and foundry for manufacturing large-scale artworks and sculptures, including the UK’s biggest 3D printing centre, in Silvertown, E16.
- A new national centre for experiential arts in Woolwich, SE18.
- An independent media production facility, Urban Catalyst’s Quartermaster Studios, in Purfleet, Essex.
- Building on the success of Turner Contemporary, a creative and digital hub to support opportunities including digital knowledge, skills and training, and studios.
- A home for digital creativity and gaming at the University of Essex, Colchester.
- A new industrial research laboratory in Kent for prototyping, skills development and production across multiple creative disciplines, including a hub for the freelance workforce.
The Thames Estuary already supports a number of existing studios, production centres, workshops and centres for innovation, including High House Production Park in Thurrock, Essex; Here East at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, E20; and Resort Studios in Margate, Kent.
London City Island, situated on the Leamouth Peninsula, will soon be home to English National Ballet’s production and training centre and the London Film School.
The mayor recently co-commissioned a feasibility study into building the capital’s largest film production studios for 25 years in Dagenham East.
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