Wandsworth’s Creative Community Comes Together for Inspiring Networking Event

On Thursday, 6 February, creatives from across the London Borough of Wandsworth gathered at the Royal Academy of Dance for a networking event celebrating artistic enterprise and opportunity.

A key highlight was a display featuring the work of participants on the Re:Create Wandsworth programme, including artist Gail Dickerson, painter Mike Thebridge, photographer and artist Kristina Chan, sculptural ceramic artist Anastassia Zamaraeva, and illustrator and graphic designer Krystal Wong. Their work sparked meaningful discussions about artistic practice and the impact of Re:Create, Creative United’s skills and support programme for creative businesses. 

Running in Wandsworth for the third year, Re:Create programme participants benefit from advice and mentoring support from industry experts and networking opportunities.  

One of 50 Wandsworth creative entrepreneurs taking part in the scheme this year, Krystal Wong, explained the impact Re:Create had on her confidence and business strategy:  

‘My mentor was amazing, and one of the best take-aways I got from the programme is a massive boost of confidence, and it was just great to talk through ideas’.

With guidance from Re:Create mentor and marketing and business development specialist Laura Mulhern, Krystal has gone on to curate a group art show, set to be showcased this June as part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe. 

The networking event, organised by Wandsworth Borough Council, provided an important opportunity for around 150 creatives to learn about the business support on offer, Wandsworth’s tenure as Borough of Culture, and to learn about funding available through Wandsworth’s London Borough of Culture grants. 

Creative United’s Sarah Thirtle spoke of the benefits of the Re:Create Business Skills course, an on-demand e-learning programme covering key business development topics. From marketing and e-commerce, building business resilience, people and team building skills, and securing funding, the course equips creative entrepreneurs with essential tools for success.

Developed with funding from Wandsworth borough council, the course is fully discounted for creatives in Wandsworth, Richmond and Westminster as part of their Re:Create programmes. Sign-up here to access.  

The event spotlighted new funding opportunities for local creatives, including South Asian Heritage Month and Black History 365 grants from between £500 and £2,000. For more information on grants from the London Borough of Culture Community Investment Fund, click here.
Find out more about the Mayor of London’s London Borough of Culture for 2025: https://welcometowandsworth.com/

Find out more about Re:Create:
https://www.creativeunited.org.uk/all-programmes/ 

This event was delivered by Wandsworth Borough Council, hosted by the Royal Academy of Dance.