Coworking Spaces in Brighton for Creative and Media Professionals
Many creative, music, and media professionals rent coworking spaces in Brighton. This way, they can run their enterprises in this artistic, inclusive city without having to fund a permanent office.
This is good news for creative businesses looms on the horizon across Brighton and beyond, especially as the government has ambitious plans to grow the UK’s creative industries by £50 billion by 2030. The sector will receive £77 million in funding in a bid to reach this goal.
While this fund will support creatives UK-wide, Brighton enterprises are receiving extra support. The city also benefits from the Create South East Investment Readiness Programme.
This programme supports creative businesses with mentorship and workshops. Businesses also receive opportunities for investment pitches, which can prove life-changing. The programme is one of many offerings supporting creatives in Brighton.
Given the city’s impressive guidance for entrepreneurs, Brighton has secured several accolades. These include topping AAT’s list of the best places to start a business in the UK four times.
Coworking in Brighton's creative hub
Creativity is part of Brighton’s DNA. As such, businesses in innovative niches are particularly well-positioned in the city.
As of 2021, over 6,100 organisations in Brighton’s creative and cultural industries employed more than 16,000 people. Many of these organisations rent coworking spaces in Brighton to work towards their goals.
Brighton’s coworking spaces help creatives work flexibly and collaborate with like-minded visionaries.
Whether you’re a freelancer or business owner, a coworking space in Brighton can open doors to scaling a business. Here are six reasons why.
1. Entrepreneurial culture
In 2020, the UK Domain ranked Brighton as the best city to start a side hustle. With many individuals launching ventures here, the city is brimming with startup success.
Examples of creative businesses that have scaled in Brighton include the:
- Cruelty-free watch and accessories company Votch
- Award-winning immersive technologies content developer Make Real
- Video production and live streaming specialist InspoHub
- Virtual reality design studio Hatsumi
- Non-screen-based game developer Gamely
Brighton cultivates a supportive ecosystem for businesses in all sectors. The creative industries are particularly prominent, with many entrepreneurs dreaming up new ventures. As such, many creatives book coworking spaces in Brighton.
2. Economic impact
In 2019, the University of Sussex conducted a study into Greater Brighton’s creative and cultural industries. This study revealed that the industries had generated over £1.5 billion in annual turnover.
Organisations in these industries have a notable impact on Brighton’s economy. As a result, they bring huge potential for growth into the region.
Four years later, in 2023, a Centre for Cities economic report noted that Brighton ranked:
- Second-highest in the country for the number of startups and number of businesses per capita. The volume of thriving enterprises further exemplifies the city’s entrepreneurship.
- Seventh-highest for housing residents with a high-level education. The number of highly qualified professionals in the city also protects Brighton’s local economy.
- Sixth-highest for new economy businesses and innovation. These businesses sit at the cutting edge of new technologies and pioneering creations. As such, they are crucial to the UK’s productivity and, by extension, economy.
3. Digital and technology hub
Many businesses that Brighton attracts operate at the intersection of creativity and technology. Lots of these businesses are developing innovative solutions and progressive technologies.
Brighton has held a reputation as a digital and technology hub for years. In 2018, it was one of the UK cities that hosted 5G test beds. These tests allowed local small and medium businesses to trial this next-generation network. Following the trial, the government launched the national roll-out of 5G.
Since then, Brighton has continued to emerge as a flourishing technology base. In 2019, The Data City ranked Brighton as the fourth-largest city in the UK for digital technology. Professionals in this space attended 134 events or meetups in the 12 months leading up to this ranking.
Fast-forward to 2021, and the UK Tech Cluster Group announced its top tech names in the South East. This list features several Brighton-based companies. Examples include the social media tool Brandwatch and software company Unity Technologies.
Other local featured companies included the:
- Talent development software provider Totara
- Location intelligence company Naurt
- Augmented reality company Percept Imagery
- Virtual and augmented reality training experience provider Make Real
- Search engine Mojeek
Renting a coworking space in Brighton can help you follow in these startups’ footsteps and bring your creative vision to life.
4. Business funding and support
Brighton’s vast array of financial support contributes to the city’s development of creative ventures.
Each of the following offers connections and support services to foster business growth in the area:
- The Sussex Innovations Centre: This offers grant funding and investment opportunities. It claims that businesses working with the centre are four times more likely to succeed in their goals.
- The NatWest Accelerator: This offers a support programme that helps Brighton organisations scale. Ventures that have received NatWest’s support include Simply VAT and OMGTea, whose founder appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2018.
- Locate East Sussex: This provides advice on starting, growing, and relocating a business in Brighton. The organisation also offers the ESI Economic Development Business Loan and Grant Programme. Locate East Sussex offers this programme in partnership with East Sussex County Council.
Booking a coworking space in Brighton can position you in the right location to leverage support initiatives like these.
5. Thriving creative scene
Brighton’s vibrant creative scene ignites inspiration across the media and arts sectors. The University of Brighton has even investigated the value of the city’s high level of creativity.
The University’s research revealed that creativity has a huge positive impact on Brighton’s digital economy. This research led to investors funding innovation and growth in Sussex’s Creative, Digital, and IT (CDIT) sector.
The research included the Brighton Fuse Project. It found that a substantial 65% of companies in Brighton’s CDIT sector are blending creative, digital, and business skills effectively.
It also reveals that one in three individuals starting a creative digital business in Brighton comes from an arts and humanities background.
This skill combination has seen businesses grow by some margin. They grow nearly three times faster than organisations where the owner is a specialist in one area only. These businesses also grow 10 times faster than the overall British economy.
Furthermore, the findings supported the Greater Brighton City Deal flagship proposal. This proposal mapped out plans to transform Brighton into a tech city. This development saw a £170 million investment in Greater Brighton, opening 8,500 jobs and growing technology businesses.
Developments for creative visionaries in Brighton
Since the culmination of this project in 2015, Brighton has seen countless developments in its creative scene. These include the launch of:
- FuseBox24: A follow-on collaborative action research project to support innovators and early-stage startups. This 24-week programme explored how artistic businesses could drive innovation through collaboration.
- Future Creators: A collective of organisations across several of Brighton’s creative industries. The collective helps young people unlock opportunities to develop their creative skills. These young people will be the next generation of entrepreneurs in Brighton.
- The Digital Catapult Centre: An immersive lab that opened in 2017. This centre makes emerging virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality technologies accessible to businesses.
- The South East Create Growth Programme: an initiative that supports creative businesses’ growth. This programme offers intensive support and a share of £7 million in grants.
Reserving coworking spaces in Brighton is an easy way to get in on these creative developments.
6. Networking opportunities
Over 40 networking groups operate in Brighton. These groups provide ample opportunities to build connections across a dynamic business community.
Local networking groups include:
- Brighton Farm: They offer Wednesday evening meetups for media freelancers. Professionals meet in different venues around Brighton to share ideas with like-minded professionals.
- Crunch: They run webinars, masterclasses, and meetups. These events are for self-employed people in Brighton and beyond. Attendees learn from a range of professionals with skills in areas like bookkeeping and client attraction.
- Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce: They offer plenty of networking opportunities. The chamber’s virtual and in-person events include breakfast sessions and ‘slow-mo’ networking.
Attending a local networking event can be a great way to spread the word about your business in Brighton.
Coworking spaces in Brighton for creative and media professionals
Brighton attracts a constant stream of creative professionals to its coworking spaces. This isn’t just for the city's entrepreneurial and creative atmosphere, but also for the practical benefits it offers.
The following shared offices are designed to cater to a wide range of professionals, including freelancers, small business owners, and larger companies. They combine ergonomic design with a dynamic work environment.
Not only is getting around the city easy from these ergonomic offices, but access to London is simple too. Brighton is under an hour from London by train and 30 minutes from Gatwick Airport.
If you would also benefit from coworking in Brighton, here are two offices to choose between. These shared offices meet the diverse needs of freelancers, small business owners, and larger companies.
Queensberry House
Sleek white furnishings adorn the interiors of Queensberry House. Both freelancers and business teams enjoy coworking in this central location. These modern workspaces provide everything you need to work productively.
Those travelling by train are within a short walk of Brighton Train Station. On the other hand, those driving to the office are within easy reach of the A27.
Highlights include:
- On-site parking
- Showers
- Elevator
Information about Queensberry House
- Location: Queensbury House, 106 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XF
- Starting costs: From £35 per day
- Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
- Nearby transport links: Brighton Train Station (a four-minute walk away), London Road Train Station (a 23-minute walk away), and North Road Bus Stop (a two-minute walk away)
Mocatta House
Mocatta House is a flagship shared office in Brighton that hosts numerous creative professionals. Easily reachable by road and rail, businesses in many artistic industries come together here.
Aside from modern coworking spaces, professionals can make the most of meeting rooms, break-out areas, and the lounge area.
Highlights include:
- Bicycle storage
- On-site sandwich/coffee bar
- Secure underground parking
Information about Mocatta House
- Location: Trafalgar Place, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4DU
- Starting costs: From £319 per month
- Opening hours: 24/7 for Private Offices and Dedicated Desks, reception hours for other members
- Nearby transport links: Cheapside Bus Stop (J) (a three-minute walk away), Brighton Train Station (a nine-minute walk away), and London Road Train Station (a 16-minute walk away)
Explore shared office spaces in Brighton with Regus
When you book a Regus coworking space in Brighton, you can work your way. Whether you need hot desks or dedicated desks in a shared office, we can help. Book via our app to reserve your flexible workspace in seconds.
Our reception team will welcome you to Queensbury House or Mocatta House. They’ll show you to your shared office, where you’ll work alongside other visionary creatives.
From printers, high-speed WiFi, and IT support to tea and coffee-making facilities, you’ll have everything you need to work in comfort.
On top of this, you’ll receive invitations to our personal growth and networking events. These events will allow you to explore even more of Brighton’s creative world.
You’ll also receive access to our global business lounge network and discounted access to airport lounges. This way, you’ll always be able to work with ease, even outside your shared workspace in Brighton.