What is Creators House in Kentish Town?

“Growing up, there weren’t a lot of people or places to go to where you could really explore your full identity as an individual,” Batuala Alexander, founder of Creators House, reflects, “but you take that and use it as your motivation.” That motivation is one of the driving forces behind Creators House, a multipurpose creative studio and coworking space based in Dean House Studios, off Highgate Road. “It feels good to be making a difference in the area I grew up in. I’m still very much a Kentish Town boy”, he laughs.

In 2020, government statistics revealed that the UK’s Creative Industries are growing five times faster than the national economy, contributing almost £13 million to the economy every hour. Batuala Alexander is well aware of this, “the industry is bigger than ever, yet there are less resources and greater barriers to entry.” He explains that in other sectors there’s usually more structure, with things like HR support. “Having money to book studio time, to develop your talent, to build networks, to get more gigs or more work, that stuff can be twice as hard in this sector.”

This is where Creators House comes in. The free-to-use space is funded by InZone, the creative agency Batuala Alexander founded after spending 10 years working at Nike. Through various agency projects, he was made increasingly aware of the demand for accessible spaces. “We kept hearing from young people, we need community spaces. We’ve built this based on what young people said they want and need.” As musician, scriptwriter and model Cyan confirms, “for so long we have been seeking out places like Creators House. And for so long they didn’t exist, until now!”

In October, the studio hosted a free DJing programme in partnership with The DJ Workshop. Seven young people with no experience got behind the decks and, by the end of the six weeks, got to perform at a closing event in front of their friends. For Venetia, a local musician, creative and self-described ‘seasoned hobby collector’, the workshop was the perfect opportunity to try something new. “I always wanted to learn how to DJ, but it seemed enigmatic. Having this place I could go every week to learn the basics in a digestible way, and practice with other learners, was an amazing process.” 

Another student from the workshop was invited to perform at the Jordan and Footlocker event Batuala Alexander ran with InZone. “They went from knowing pretty much nothing, to DJing at this big event. That was really touching to see”, he grins. “Getting such positive feedback from the young people makes you feel like you’re doing the right thing.”