the hub
We think. We do. We learn. We share.
the hub develops new thinking and practice in the creative sector
the hub was founded in 2002 by a team of socially minded, entrepreneurial, producers, marketers and fundraisers united by a desire to produce innovative work and build the capacity of the independent music sector we’d grown up in. Since then, we’ve gained a reputation as a leading development force in the creative sector. Our clients and partners range from some of the biggest names in the creative sector – from Sony Playstation to the BBC – to individual artists, small arts organisations, and higher education providers. Working with such a range of people, all culturally curious like us, makes ‘going to work’ a joy.
We’re social entrepreneurs: inherently entrepreneurial, but focused on developing innovative solutions and sharing learning to make a difference. Our ‘think and do tank’ model means we combine consultancy, research and training with our own 'hub lab' projects, where we ‘scratch our creative itches’, exploring solutions to sector problems or creative opportunities that excite us.
These twin functions - thinking and doing - are central to our philosophy, practice and business model. Few consultants are also active practitioners, but to us it’s absolutely crucial we do both. It keeps our tools sharp; means we combine theory and practice; that we’re multi-lingual, and understand the landscape because we’re part of it. This think and do tank approach is what sets us apart from the crowd, but it’s also how we make the hub work financially; the money we generate through working with clients helps fund our hub lab programme.