Baltic states its case with new board and creative manager
Baltic Creative, the Community Interest Company established by Liverpool Vision, has appointed a board and centre manager to drive the vision of a vibrant creative business hub for Liverpool.
Erika Rushton who is enterprise director at Plus Dane Group will lead the nine-strong Baltic Creative board which will work closely with newly-appointed manager, Mark Lawler.
The appointments follow the allocation of £5.2m funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) (£3m) and Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (£2.2m) which allowed Baltic Creative to acquire property in the Baltic Triangle area.
The investment is building on the developing cluster of creative activity already in the area, which includes visual arts, gallery space and live music and recording venues.
The Board will now manage these property assets, and promote them as the centre for the creative sector in the city, managed by the Baltic Creative manager. Each property is being converted on a phased basis to provide offices and studio spaces suitable for creative and digital businesses.
Erika Rushton said: “We have gathered together an excellent group of board members. We were looking for passionate and committed people to help realise the strategy to make the creative sector in this city an even bigger driver of Liverpool’s economy.
“I am convinced that we have eight outstanding representatives from the creative and business communities, all of whom care about Liverpool.
“They are smart, qualified and committed with successful track records and they are already firm advocates for Liverpool, demonstrating that they mean business.
“I am delighted that they have agreed to join at the start of an exciting new chapter for the Baltic area and we will work closely with another outstanding individual in Mark Lawler to carry forward the vision of a dynamic successful creative hub in the heart of the city.”
The Baltic Creative centre aims to support more than 60 businesses, create 2,790 sq m of improved floorspace and once at full capacity, is expected to contribute £1 million per annum to the Liverpool economy.
Kevin McManus, director of Liverpool Vision’s creative support body Merseyside ACME, which led on establishing Baltic Creative, said: “There is already so much energy and enthusiasm in the creative sector in Liverpool which is already making a significant contribution to both the city’s economy and its offer and this project will create another asset for the city’s business reputation, creating new jobs and levering in new investment.
“The vision is to support and increase the vibrancy by attracting new companies, new ideas and new connections for the sustainable future prosperity of the area.”
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