Scarborough is best known for its sandy beaches and sunshine by the sea. But look beyond the holiday makers and elegant hotels and watch a seaside town waking to a new digital dawn.

Today children with buckets and spades jostle for space on the now fully WIFI enabled waterfront allowing creative entrepreneurs to soak up the sun whilst tendering for and winning big name accounts.

This year’s Coastival festival, delivered by Create, brought together more than a hundred artists, performers, musicians, actors and film makers for 96 events spread across 30 venues in just one weekend. The event has helped to cement Scarborough’s place as an emerging force in the Region’s digital, media and creative sector.

However, the town is no stranger to culture. For example, the former summer home and birthplace of the renowned and eccentric writer Edith Sitwell recently underwent a major transformation to create a unique and vibrant managed workspace for the creative industries.

Now known as Woodend Creative Workspace the centre boasts superfast broadband and has a list of clients ranging from photographers to graphic designers, artists and architects. Andrew Clay, Director of Woodend relocated from Leeds two years ago to take on the role.

“For me Scarborough was a lifestyle choice. People assume that if you move to the coast you do it to get away from the pressures of business. The town and surrounding areas have so much creativity and vibrancy paired with a very flexible approach to business and lifestyle, which makes for a more successful and inspiring response to creative briefs.”