About Chalk.

Eastbourne’s creative, digital, and technology (CDT) sector is booming, with the town’s sector experiencing the highest level of growth across the whole of East Sussex.

Between 2016 and 2020, the Sunshine Coast’s CDT sector grew by 10.5%, with the trends in tech software and tech hardware beating this average by 14.7% and 15.6% respectively(1). That’s not including the acceleration of digital and tech adoption we have all witnessed post-pandemic.

Eastbourne’s CDT sector, home to an estimated 2320 CDT businesses, is dominated by a cluster of larger IT and software businesses, with roughly 585 individuals working in this particular field(1). With 3500 IT jobs advertised across Sussex every month, there’s no shortage of appetite for work in such roles(2).

So why is Eastbourne such a hub for those working in CDT? 

The town has a fantastic digital infrastructure with full fibre internet, wonderful co-working spaces for collaboration and cooperation, and great opportunities to learn and retrain.

Aside from the cluster of digital businesses, the area attracts creatives, thanks to the award-winning Towner Eastbourne, the Devonshire Cultural Quarter, and the new Black Robin Farm development, among others. Plus the town has a strong technology background, with well-established engineering and manufacturing sites around the outskirts. 

On top of that, being near to both London and the local creative hub of Brighton means that East Sussex businesses have access to opportunities in these places(1). 

But what makes Eastbourne…Eastbourne?

The high quality of life and comparatively low house prices make East Sussex a desirable place for remote and hybrid workers(1). But there’s so much more to it than that!

Eastbourne, with its population of just over 100,000 residents(3), is nestled at the foot of the beautiful South Downs National Park and has a 6km-long seafront. With over 30 schools and an average age of just 45(4), there is a lively young population who appreciate the great opportunities to live, work, and play that the seaside location offers. 

From a regenerated town centre to great countryside walks and pubs, the largest marina in northern Europe to zoos and activity centres on our doorstep - there’s something for everyone. And who doesn’t enjoy nearly 500 more hours of sunshine per year than the national average?

Our challenges

One of the biggest challenges in Eastbourne is the false public perception of an elderly, economically inactive population in a sleepy seaside town.

Post-COVID, the town has suffered economically: the traditional mainstay sectors of hospitality and tourism have been hit.

There are skills gaps, with coders and developers in short supply, a lack of understanding of the breadth of roles available within the CDT sector, and unclear routes into such jobs(2). This is often compiled by courses lacking up-to-date technical skills or struggling to adapt to the pace of businesses.

We believe…

Despite the challenges, the future looks bright for the CDT sector within Eastbourne.

As Chalk Eastbourne, we believe the CDT sector can provide individuals with a meaningful career and a great work-life-play balance here in Eastbourne.

With post-COVID changes to the composition of the sectors present in the town, the CDT sector can provide the economic stability and growth needed to provide a positive future for the local community. Those formerly in hospitality and tourism have a great set of transferable skills which can easily be put to good use within customer service and sales within the CDT sector, and there are opportunities for retraining to learn more specialist technical skills too.

There is a strong desire at the highest level for more high-quality jobs, professional careers, and innovation within the town, which the growth in the CDT sector can provide. Eastbourne’s entrepreneurial spirit means public and private organisations work well together to overcome any barriers in front of them. This support is invaluable to the growing CDT sector, with the local ecosystem helping new and existing businesses to thrive.

The CDT sector is a welcoming, open, and flexible sector, ripe to accommodate a wide range of different personality types and protected characteristics due to the variety of career paths, specialisms, and readiness to accommodate office, hybrid, or remote work. This should allow everyone to access the benefits of a high-quality CDT role.

The future

Looking ahead to the future of work in our community, an ever-increasing number of roles will have a digital element at their heart. A strong CDT sector of professionals who can collaborate, cooperate, and work interconnectedly will make their outputs more effective - and, as a whole entity, can put Eastbourne on the map as the place to find such talent.

With the growth of AI, automation, and the resulting possibility of reduced or more flexible working hours, what goes on outside of the workplace will become ever more important for professionals. With such fantastic opportunities on the doorstep - creatively, in the great outdoors, and socially - Eastbourne becomes a natural choice for individuals and families.

Our strong business-led community will impact wider society by providing aspiration, inspiration, knowledge and support to those in, or trying to get into, the CDT sector. The economic growth and strength of the sector will have a trickle-down effect across other industries within Eastbourne, once again helping to boost hospitality and tourism, but also spreading out to retail, construction, finance, and other sectors as demand increases. 

Local people will be able to stay in the town they love and gain fulfilling work opportunities, and those from further afield will choose to relocate to Eastbourne for the wonderful work-life-play balance it offers.

How Chalk Eastbourne helps

As a local business-led collective, we advocate for working together to raise the profile of the Creative, Digital and Technology (CDT) sector within Eastbourne and the wider South-East region. We aim to:

• Provide opportunities for CDT business professionals to share knowledge, collaborate, and support each other in achieving business growth.

• Facilitate the process of innovation and business start-ups in the region

• Support new talent to enter the sector locally, through direct education initiatives and industry-led support to education providers

• Provide opportunities for those disadvantaged, underprivileged, or digitally excluded to engage with the sector, and advance their skills and career prospects

The Turner Prize has shone a light on the creative industry locally over the past year: we want to continue building that momentum, putting Eastbourne and the wider region firmly on the map. 

We want Eastbourne and the surrounding region to become a recognised CDT hub in the UK, known for driving innovation and providing fulfilling work opportunities for the local community. With a positive public perception and lasting change in place, the Sunshine Coast has a solid economic future ahead of it and is set for tomorrow’s world.

What can I do to be part of Chalk?

There are lots of ways to get involved…

1. Sign up to our email newsletter. This is where we’ll be sharing news and information on digital in Eastbourne once a month.

2. Share your news with us. If you have updates to share or would like your company featured in one of our newsletters, send us your press releases or get in touch for a chat.

3. Read the newsletter. You can catch up on past editions too.

4. Come along to our free monthly Chalk Connect sessions. Meet others in the community, share ideas, learn something new - the first Tuesday of the month at FOUNDRY in Eastbourne.

5. Attend Eastbourne DigiFest - our showcase event highlighting the best of creative, digital, and tech in the South East (Thursday 10th October 2024).

6. Keep an eye out for our ad-hoc events. We organise get-togethers for the community throughout the year, so look out for updates in our newsletter and on social media.

7. Ensure we’ve got you included in our Business Directory. If not, drop us a line and we’ll add you!

8. Tell your friends and colleagues about us! Everyone is welcome - employees, freelancers, students, business owners. This will help to grow our community and meet our aims.

References:

(1) Jones, Phil, and Josh Siepel. “Creative, Digital, & Technology Sector Proposition - A Wired Sussex Report for Locate East Sussex.” Locate East Sussex, 2022, locateeastsussex.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/creative-digital-and-technology-sector-proposition.pdf. 

(2) Wallman, Dan. “The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) Digital Sector - Deep Dive Executive Summary.” Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Aug. 2022, www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/storage/resources/evidence-summery-1662121681.pdf.

(3) “How the Population Changed in Eastbourne, Census 2021.” ONS, Office for National Statistics, 28 June 2022, www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censuspopulationchange/E07000061. 

(4) “How Life Has Changed in Eastbourne: Census 2021.” ONS, Office for National Statistics, 19 Jan. 2023, www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E07000061/.