New Brighton run club is rewriting the rules of networking for creatives

Tom Meades, co-founder and chief designer of Brighton-based sustainable tech brand gomi, has launched Creatives Run - a monthly meet-up designed to bring together creatives from across the city in an informal, welcoming environment - along with friend Pete Ashworth. The initiative aims to help students and recent graduates build meaningful connections with the industries they’re hoping to break into, while strengthening Brighton’s already vibrant creative scene.

Held on the last Thursday of every month, Creatives Run begins with an optional, slow-paced 5K run along Brighton’s seafront, before finishing for drinks and conversation at Vine Bar in the North Laine. And despite the name, running is entirely optional – many people simply join afterwards for a chat.

Tom, who graduated from the University of Brighton in 2017 with a degree in 3D Design and Craft BA(Hons), came up with the idea with Pete while tutoring on the University’s Product Design course. Through working closely with students, he saw a real opportunity to help connect them with local professionals, studios and brands in a way that felt natural, human and pressure-free.

Tom explains: “When you take the formality out of networking, people open up. With everyone dressed informally in sports gear, a bit sweaty, it creates an even playing field. By the time we’re sitting down for a drink, conversations are flowing – people are talking honestly about their work, sharing ideas, and spotting opportunities to collaborate.”

Since launching around a year ago, Creatives Run has grown organically, attracting a diverse mix of creative professionals. Regular attendees include product design studios, furniture makers, brand creatives, writers, bike designers from Brompton, film makers, creatives from Nike’s graphic design agency – and even one of the makers of Candy Crush. Collaborations are already taking shape between people who may never otherwise have crossed paths.

Tom is now keen to see more students, recent graduates and young creatives getting involved. He said: “We often have senior designers, studio leads and brand creatives asking if I know any good students or graduates who are looking for work. That’s incredibly encouraging – it shows there’s a real appetite to support emerging talent, and Creatives Run can be a great place for those conversations to begin.”

At its core, the initiative is about creating genuine opportunities. It gives students and graduates the chance to talk openly about real roles in the industry, get feedback on their university projects, and build relationships that could lead to internships, collaborations or jobs after graduation.  

Longer term, Tom hopes Creatives Run will help strengthen connections between education and industry locally, boosting Brighton’s creative economy and making the city an even more attractive choice for students who want strong, real-world links while they study.

One example of how these connections can turn into real opportunities is Tom’s collaboration with University of Brighton graduate Angus Clifford. Angus, who graduated in 2024 with a degree in Product Design BSc(Hons), developed a final-year project exploring how waste courier uniforms could be repurposed into functional products.

His work caught Tom’s attention at the University’s Graduate Summer Shows, leading to a collaboration with gomi on a limited range of wearable bags designed to hold gomi power banks and everyday tech. Handmade in Brighton, the project helped Angus continue developing his practice after graduation and has since sparked conversations at Creatives Run about how brands and studios can support emerging talent.

The next Creatives Run takes place on Thursday 26 February. Open to creatives from any discipline at all stages – from students and recent graduates to established professionals – the event offers a simple but powerful model for building connections across Brighton’s creative community. It’s completely free, but book your space online to make sure you get a seat in the bar afterwards.

By creating space for honest conversations, unexpected collaborations and real career opportunities, Creatives Run hopes to help to strengthen links between education, industry and the city’s wider creative economy – proving that sometimes the most effective networking happens outside the boardroom.

Follow Creatives Run on Instagram for more updates.