Chalk, a new digital community for Eastbourne, has recently launched online. This new initiative aims to change the perception of Eastbourne in order to increase the number of digital businesses in the area, provide a supportive network to help grow talent locally, and therefore make it easier for digital companies in the town to recruit. It’s open to anyone who’s into “digital” in the local area – developers, graphic designers, marketeers, students, freelancers, and hobbyists.
Originally intended to be launched as an in-person conference this spring, Chalk has moved online and will initially take the form of an email newsletter and a podcast series focusing on Eastbourne business owners about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on their companies, including the shift to digital.
The first series of the podcast Chalk Talks has been rolled out across all usual podcast streaming channels throughout July. The series includes conversations between Garry James from Eastbourne software agency Switchplane, and representatives from Towner Eastbourne, The English Soap Company, Rathfinny Wine Estate, Pure Arts Group, and Exclusively Eastbourne holiday cottages.
Plans for Chalk started last summer and were borne out of discussions between Switchplane and Caroline Ansell MP, Stephen Lloyd, Eastbourne Borough Council, and other local digital companies Zoonou, Fountain Digital, and PRG Marketing Communications.
“Recruiting people with the necessary digital skills in Eastbourne is troublesome, as young talent is often attracted to the glamour of Brighton and London lifestyles.
“We really want to get across the message that Eastbourne isn’t just a tourism destination, but a great place for people with families to live, work, and escape the rat race of the bigger cities.
“Living in one of the UK’s creative clusters, we want to celebrate the opportunities Eastbourne offers for the digital community, and that digital brings to the town too.”
Garry James, Switchplane
For more details about Chalk, to sign up to the newsletter and to find the podcast, visit chalkeastbourne.com.