Sakura Studio Gallery works collaboratively to bring the work of independent artists to customers in a rural setting
Stonham Aspal-based startup Sakura Studio Gallery – a part of the rural shopping village at Stonham Barns Park – has been named a finalist ahead of the East of England final of the StartUp Awards.
The UK StartUp Awards was launched to recognise the booming start-up scene across the UK which has accelerated over the last few years with over 900,000 new businesses founded in the UK in 2023, a 12% increase from the year before.
Over 900 businesses have been shortlisted for this year’s UK StartUp Awards and the contribution of these firms – all of which were started in the last three years – is significant, having created nearly 6,000 new jobs since they were established and generating annual sales of £480 million.
Sakura Studio Gallery is an art space dedicated to showcasing independent artists and providing a space for visitors to try out and experiment with their own creativity with the brand new workshops on offer in the expanded studio space. Founded by Albany Tripp in February 2023, the business has been nominated in Rural StartUp of the Year and Creative StartUp of the Year Awards in East of England.
Albany, founder of Sakura Studio Gallery, who lives in Diss, said: “I can’t express how grateful I am to be able to have this art space where I am able to create and share my love for art, support and exhibit other artists and share our creative passions with workshops while raising my young son and his soon to come little sibling. And then as a young business at 13 months old to receive the news that my little creative space is a regional finalist in not one, but two categories is just amazing!
‘I love the way this is showcase of creative work. Suffolk is the perfect place for artists to thrive and we do it all so much better when we collaborate.’
‘As a rural business, we wouldn’t be where we are without the support of our artists and visitors, along with our fellow local businesses and the team at Stonham Barns Park retail village.’
Supported nationally by ScoreApp, GS1 UK, Starling Bank, OVHcloud, GiftRound, Airwallex, the programme will celebrate the achievements of the amazing individuals who have turned an idea into an opportunity and taken the risk to launch a new product or service.
The cohort of finalists will be considered for the regional prizes by a panel of seasoned judges with experience founding or supporting entrepreneurial ventures. The winners from each region will then be invited to the first UK final taking place at Ideas Fest, the Glastonbury for Business festival in Tring, Hertfordshire on 12th September 2024.
Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the creator of the UK StartUp Awards, said:
“Start-up businesses are the lifeblood of any economy, being responsible for new jobs, innovation and wealth creation across the UK. All the finalists this year represent the best of those entrepreneurs who have spotted an opportunity and through their sheer hard work, talent and perseverance, have created amazing new businesses that are creating real impact in their sectors. Building on the success of previous years, we are now looking to identify the ‘best of the best’ with all the finalists who win their category in their region going on to represent their region at the first ever UK National StartUp Awards final later this year”.
The UK StartUp Awards was created in collaboration with the team behind the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, one of the most successful awards programmes in the UK. The UK StartUp Awards are running for the third year after launching in 2022.
This year’s regional UK StartUp Awards finalists can be found online at https://startupawards.uk/
