Culture and creativity

With an excellent year-round creative and cultural events programme, Torbay is a fantastic location in the South West of England for creativity and innovation.

A growing community of creative companies

Torbay’s Creative Industries covers a wide range of creative businesses from crafts to createch, and Torbay creatives have access to business growth support programmes, grant funding, and opportunities to network and collaborate.

Significant local expertise and dedicated training

South Devon College and its Hi-Tech & Digital Centre provide creative, creative tech, and hi-tech digital creative specific training programmes to provide the future talent pipeline for our growing creative businesses, including developing creative skills and careers for use in non-creative companies.

For example, we enable, support and facilitate awareness about events where professional services personnel, including legal and financial professionals, can network, connect and collaborate for business purposes with creatives, such as, website designers.

A firmly established creative business network

The growth of Torbay’s Creative Industries is further strengthened by local networks of creative businesses, universities, cultural organisations, trade associations, and Chambers of Commerce.

Torbay Council frequently attends exhibitions, presents at major international events, and attends local events to raise awareness about how we support Torbay’s creative businesses. 

Business growth support programmes

Our business growth support programmes make Torbay an excellent place for creatives in Paignton, Torquay and Brixham to grow their business.

Skills Training

Support from South Devon College provides the Bay with a strong talent pipeline of all levels of education and skills either ready to start or upskill and continue their careers.

Quality of life: Why base your business in Torbay?

Torbay is a glorious part of Devon and England, encompassing the towns of Torquay, Brixham and Paignton. It sits on the beautiful Tor Bay and next to the stunning landscape of Dartmoor National Park.

Our creative businesses can achieve an excellent work-life balance with access to our stunning green countryside and blue sea, where you can find 20 beaches along 22 miles of coastline. The wonderfully mild climate which, coupled with the compelling natural environment, makes Torbay a hugely attractive place to live, work and visit.

Remote working opportunities and good connectivity mean that our creative business owners can, of course, still easily connect to work on projects with their customers, online and in person, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

How we can help

Get in touch and we can provide you with tailored information and support about:

• Upcoming events
• Business support programmes
• Available business spaces
• Grant funding opportunities for creative businesses from pre- startup onwards

Already based in Torbay?

If you’re an existing business based in Torbay, our newsletter will keep you up to date with all the information you need to grow your business.

Relocating to Torbay?

If you’re thinking about setting up your creative business in Torbay, then we can offer support and help your business to thrive.

Contact us today

Email jojo.ramsden@torbay.gov.uk or call 01803 207425 / 07771 811389 to speak with JoJo Ramsden, Senior Economic Development Officer at Torbay Council.

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Torbay’s Creative Industries defined by Department of Culture Media and Sports includes:

• Advertising and marketing
• Architecture
• Arts & Crafts
• Design: product, graphic, fashion
• Film, TV, video, radio and photography
• IT, software and computer services
• Publishing
• Museums, galleries and libraries
• Music, performing and visual arts

IT software and computing services can include:

• CreaTech
• Gaming
• E-sports
• Immersive
• AI
• AR/VR/XR/ER

Digital applications can include:

• Website design
• Programming
• App design

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