What a year it’s been! As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible achievements, milestones, and memories that made this year so special for Baltic Creative and our ever-growing community.

From welcoming new businesses and team members to marking a decade of the iconic Plinth and launching our very first Bloom festival, there’s so much for us to reflect on.

Thank you to everyone in the Baltic Creative community for another boss year. We’re so excited to see what 2025 brings, but for now join us as we look through the highlights that helped define our 2024.

Community Development

This year we welcomed 15 new businesses to the Baltic Creative community, including:

From innovative digital ventures like Attach Digital to creative forces like Ben Youdan Art and Hand on Art Studio. Together, they’re bringing fresh energy to the Baltic Triangle and we’re thrilled to have them on board.

Top L-R: Hand On Art Studio, Little Vintage Photography, Liverpool Eco Tours
Bottom L-R: Milap, Ben Youdan Art, Heart IT

Meet the new faces on our board

We’ve welcomed four new members to our board this year, each offering valuable insights from the digital, creative and property industries.

Julian Woods, an entrepreneurship expert, offers extensive experience mentoring business owners. Liz Edwards, an HR consultant and PhD candidate in community-owned infrastructure, adds valuable insight. Adrien Mogenet, a data science and engineering specialist, focuses on enhancing business efficiency and revenue. Dr. Paul Jones, a lecturer and urban regeneration consultant, completes the group. Their combined expertise will drive the future direction of Baltic Creative.

Baltic Creative’s new directors. (L-R: Julian Woods, Adrien Mogenet, Dr Paul Jones, and Liz Edwards)

Changes to the management team

Maria joined our management team back in April as Baltic Creative’s Asset Manager. Maria brings a wealth of global experience in property management, having most recently managed a portfolio of 125 properties at WT Gunson, including residential, commercial, and retail spaces.

At Baltic Creative, she focuses on fostering community connections through property management and lease renewals. Her approach has already made a positive impact, ensuring that our spaces continue to serve the needs of our growing community. Maria’s expertise and proactive attitude have made her a fantastic addition to the team, and we’re thrilled to have her on board.

Collaboration in Action

This year, we’ve been lucky to host some amazing exhibitions at The Shed and Northern Lights, showcasing incredible work from artists within our own community. From the empowering ‘Women in the Know‘ exhibition to The Shed to Jennifer Santillo’s CANVELLA collection at Northern Lights, we’ve had some wonderful exhibits on display.

Our Spotlight blog series also shone a light on the fantastic work happening across the Baltic Creative community. If you haven’t already, check out the blogs from this year:

From offering valuable business advice to our community, to our McKeown Rice Exhibition Space and community exhibition walls continuing to spotlight local artists to the tenant socials at Baltic Brews and community get-togethers – we’ve had plenty of opportunities to come together and celebrate.

We’ve also continued to collaborate with organisations outside of the community, getting engaged with our first team CSR day, volunteering at Liverpool South Foodbank and getting hands-on in their warehouse, helping to sort the latest food and toiletries donations.

Bloom 2024

In May this year we launched the first Bloom – a business festival that offered a unique blend of support, inspiration, and connection. 20 speakers joined 15 support organisations and 30 exhibitors for our inaugural Bloom festival, designed to shape the future of the creative and digital sectors in the North of England. It was a day of advice, ensuring our businesses are fit for the future with tips, advice and insights from entrepreneurs and experts keen to share their stories. There were panel discussions, talks and one-to-one advice sessions; there was great food, live music, new conversations and a chance to grow networks. It was a day to connect, learn, and grow.

Bloom 2025 is shaping up to be bigger and bolder.

Baltic Creative’s 15 year anniversary

We celebrated Baltic Creative’s 15 year anniversary – an incredible milestone in creativity, collaboration and community-building.

Baltic Creative’s journey started back in 2009 with a £4.5m grant to refurbish 18 old warehouses. The first building opened in 2012, giving creative businesses a place to grow and thrive. Since then, everything we make goes right back into our spaces and services, helping to build a strong sense of community.

We’re all about reinvesting in our current properties and exploring new opportunities, not just in Liverpool but beyond. There’s plenty of exciting growth ahead!

Baltic Creative is a true example of how vision and collaboration can transform a neighbourhood. We’re proud to provide a lasting, vibrant home for the creative and digital industries for many years to come.

We celebrated in September with a a fantastic party in Yonder at Digital House!

10 years of the Plinth – McKeown Rice Exhibition Space

This year marks a decade since we unveiled the iconic plinth at the heart of the Baltic Triangle in tribute to Claire McKeown and Paul Rice, founding members of Baltic Creative. This space has become a beacon for artistic expression, hosting 11 installations curated by Castle Fine Arts Foundry. Each piece has shaped the cultural fabric of the area, sharing powerful stories and diverse perspectives.

‘The Reckoning’ by Rudy Loewe. (c) Wesley Storey.
All other plinth images used. (c) Pete Carr

As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue growing, supporting our tenants, and shaping the future of the creative and digital sectors. Here’s to an even brighter year ahead!