It all starts Here

What does it take to build a place where creativity and innovation can truly thrive?

On Wednesday 3 June, Here East, Plexal and LMA, with partners Oury Clark and Texas House, brought ‘It all starts Here’ back to Hackney Wick for its second edition – a full-day programme celebrating SXSW London and the ideas, people and environments shaping the future of London.

Set across the Here East campus, we welcomed leaders from the worlds of culture, technology and industry, alongside students, founders and members of the Hackney community.

More than a series of sessions, it was an exploration of how creativity actually happens – not in isolation, but through the interplay of space, community and emerging technology.

That idea came into focus early on, with a panel asking do spaces shape culture, or does culture shape spaces?

With Georgina Godwin, host of the Here East Visionary podcast, in the chair as moderator, speakers including Gus Casely-Hayford, Director of V&A East; Tamsin Ace, Director of East Bank; and Richard Broom, Studio Director at Jason Bruges Studio, reflected on East London’s identity as a place built by makers – and the responsibility of institutions to honour that legacy.

As London’s creative landscape evolves, so too must the environments that support it, with a focus on openness, accessibility and ensuring communities feel represented in the spaces being created around them.

That sense of participation carried through the afternoon. Across the campus, attendees moved between hands-on experiences and live demonstrations – from exploring the DJI Ronin 4D camera system with Hawk London to stepping inside immersive virtual worlds created by University of Staffordshire London students.

Creativity wasn’t just being discussed; it was being tested, built and shared in real time.

Alongside this, other conversations turned to how technology can help tackle violence against women and girls. A session hosted by Plexal explored the role innovation can play – not just in responding to harm, but in preventing it. The discussion highlighted both the potential of data-driven solutions and the complexity of designing systems that build trust without compromising privacy.

International growth and expansion were also explored in a panel hosted by Texas House, with the return of the Texas–UK Innovation Exchange. As more UK companies look to scale internationally, speakers discussed what’s driving expansion to the US, and the mindset required to navigate new markets.

Running in parallel, Creative Experience Lab London brought research and performance together through ‘Performing Innovation’, showcasing the work of Alexander Whitley Dance Company and demonstrating how collaboration across disciplines – and with local communities – is shaping the next generation of immersive experiences in and around the Park.

Later in the day, attention turned to the rapid rise of AI. In Navigating the AI Wild West, Georgina Godwin was joined by Justin Diener, Co-Founder of Synapse; Allan Rankin, CEO of Target3D; and Usha Raghavachari, Global Data & AI Strategy Lead at Ford, to unpack how emerging technologies are transforming creative industries, from film and television to music. While the tools themselves are evolving at pace, the message was clear: creativity still depends on human insight – on taste, context and the ability to tell meaningful stories.

Across the day, a common thread emerged. Whether discussing physical spaces or digital tools, the focus was ultimately on people – on access, inclusion and the need to create environments where more individuals can participate in and shape the creative economy.

As the afternoon moved into evening, the conversations gave way to connection. The Yard filled with music, food and energy, as guests gathered for a BBQ and drinks, with a DJ set from Daisie Anderson. Nearby, PARALLELS, an immersive light and sound installation by Architecture Socials Club, offered another way to experience the intersection of art, space and technology.

A lineup of emerging artists from LMA, alongside musicians from Austin, Texas, carried the programme into the evening – a reminder that creativity doesn’t just live in discussion, but in performance, expression and shared experience.

By the end of the day, one thing was clear: It all starts Here is not just a statement, but an approach.

At Here East, creativity is not treated as an outcome, but as something that is continuously shaped – by the spaces we design, the technologies we adopt and the communities we bring together.

And as London continues to evolve, it’s this combination that will define what comes next.