From illustrators to fashion designers, City Core Creatives has launched a travelling market for the creative businesses

A new travelling market has hit the road in Kent, focused on bringing the best independent creatives into amazing spaces.
The City Core Creatives, which was founded in Canterbury in July, will offer brand mentoring services to small creative businesses as well as slots at both virtual and real-life markets.
“What makes us different from normal markets is we only choose cool, exciting or historical venues to host our markets in, that already have their own footfall and things going on,” explains founder Sharlie Dunstan. “We don’t really do community centres and village halls, we tend to go for something more big and fun.
“We also offer a marketing goodybag, which essentially means if you send us some of our products we’ll get your products out to networking events around the country to help you attract a sort of higher paying customer or possibly get your products into small businesses.”

From illustrators to clothing designers and kids’ products to homeware, the first physical market took place in Dreamland’s picturesque ballroom, but Sharlie, who has a degree in interior architecture and design at UCA, is keen to take it across Kent and the country.
Having finished an interior design contract in Margate, Sharlie set about starting her own business called Old Flame Lux, which specialises in vintage home decor and candles. But it was her desire to take her business to a new level that led her to the idea of City Core Creatives.
“So, I’m selling on Etsy and I’m doing quite well and I’m thinking ‘OK, I need to take this to the next level to make sales,” says Sharlie. “I’m looking at local shops where I can get my products stocked and at markets. And obviously I’m local to Canterbury, and there weren’t really a lot of markets I can actually take part in… and the waiting list for the others is so big.”

And that’s where Sharlie saw the gap in the market - excuse the pun.
“I also want my markets to be an experience for the traders,” says Sharlie. “Obviously you can’t control everything - we can put you in a place that’s got a lot of footfall and stuff going on, you’ll attract customers, but we can’t guarantee you’re always making more sales.
“We want to make a real experience for the traders by inviting local businesses and magazines and media outlets and first looks at these brands, local shop owners and networking events and hopefully have some entertainment as well. So, regardless of the sales they want to make that day, they’re still taking something out of the event.”
The first market price was set at £65 per trader to have a stall, making it manageable and affordable to start-ups. There are plans already in place for Autumn, Halloween and Christmas markets, but Sharlie is on the lookout for more locations and spaces to take City Core Creatives.

If you’re interested in taking part, follow and message @citycorecreativesmarket