The launch of Playland Creative Hub
Playland Creative Hub Unveiled – A new Ecosystem Driving Creativity, Collaboration and Youth Empowerment in Portsmouth
The 9 October 2025 marked the vibrant launch of Playland Creative Hub, an exciting new joint venture between Artswork and Portsmouth Creates, bringing together two dynamic creative forces to champion community engagement, drive creative business growth and youth empowerment in the heart of the city.
Playland Creative Hub is two-storey venue; A reimagining of the former Playland Amusement Arcade at the top of Commercial Road in Portsmouth. Now transformed into a accessible creative space comprising of two interconnected elements: Create at Playland and Playland – each playing a unique role in supporting Portsmouth’s creative economy.
The launch event on October 9 welcomed young creatives, community leaders, and creatives from across the region. Guests were treated to live performance and an art installation exploring Playland’s history, all led and created by the young people running Playland. There was also an opportunity to explore both spaces and to hear a message from Artswork’s new Patron, HRH Princess Eugenie.
The launch – 9 October 2025
Images by Dev Place
Playland Creative Hub provides opportunities for not only the creative sector, but also anyone in the community, no matter at what stage within their creative journey, located in Charles Dickens Ward in the city, it also provides much needed cultural and creative provision which historically has been limited in this location. Playland Creative Hub has been developed as a space that will not only inspire, but also lead to collaboration and growth, whilst providing a much-needed platform for exploration and innovation. The hub will shine a light on the wealth of talent in Portsmouth whilst also supporting to build upon the talent pipeline. It also adds to the city’s cultural and creative infrastructure, becoming a new accessible pathway to the creative industries, acting as a vehicle for retaining creative talent in the city and the wider region.
Upstairs at Create at Playland provides workspace for micro and small creative businesses, all of which help to support the youth programme downstairs through providing skills development, work experience and pathways into the creative industries in Portsmouth and beyond. This vital infrastructure provides an accessible route into employability, skills development and job creation for more young people in the area.
Whether you’re a young person looking to explore your creativity, a local artist seeking collaboration, or an organisation looking for a venue, Playland Creative Hub welcomes you.
A young person who uses the space said of the hub:
I found I was always going outside of Portsmouth to be creative. When I was growing up there wasn’t much around (in Portsmouth). Recently, when I came back home after University, I found that this space (Portsmouth Creative Hub) has been a relief for me as a creative, because I am able to develop myself.
For more information on the youth-led venue downstairs, please visit:
For more information on the creative space upstairs, please visit: