First up, a massive thanks to Meta and to our own Awesome Black team. Meta’s funding for the AB Creator Hub helped bring our vision to life, and we couldn’t have come this far without the support and dedication of everyone who worked tirelessly to make the space something truly special. Thank you for helping us make it real.
Now, for the big news: at the end of this week, we’ll be closing the doors of our Erskineville studio and moving back to Maitland in the Hunter Valley. It’s the end of a chapter—a short one, but one we’re incredibly proud of.
Our aim with the AB Creator Hub was to create a sustainable space in Sydney that could support mob creatives—a place for work, connection, and creation. We threw ourselves into building something special, but it turned out not to be the right time or place. The reasons are complex and will probably be something we’ll unpack for years to come, but here’s a bit of our journey.
The Realities of the AB Creator Hub
One reason was simple: money. We took on a significant financial risk to launch the Creator Hub, hoping that opening it up to both mob and commercial opportunities would make it financially viable. We envisioned a community hub with enough revenue to sustain itself, covering the rent, staffing, and resources to support mob creatives. But despite our best efforts, it wasn’t enough to make the space sustainable long-term.
The second reason was human. Travis, as Awesome Black’s CEO, was wearing a lot of hats—running the Creator Hub, overseeing Awesome Black, and maintaining his own creative practice. Living in the Hunter Valley, the constant trips to Sydney took a toll, impacting his physical and mental health. The decision to move was ultimately made for us.
What’s Ahead: A New Chapter Begins
So here we are—heading back to Maitland! We’ll be taking a couple of quiet weeks to recoup and settle in, then getting back into full swing. For the moment, the business will operate out of Travis’ home, but in early 2025, we’re excited to share that we’ll be in a new building with a brand-new studio. We can’t wait to bring you along on that journey.
And we’re not stopping there. We’ll keep championing Blakfulla creativity in all the ways we’ve always done and more. New Blak Music Fridays will be back (we’ve had a few weeks off with all the hectic move prep), Staunch has two new essays in the works, we’re still curating the Blak Loud playlist, and new episodes of Petroglyph will be dropping soon.
There are also exciting new projects on the horizon! Our Awesome Black Foundation is getting a refresh, and we’ll be seeking new Board Members to help drive it forward. Keep an eye out for updates on our socials; we’ll have some exciting news (and maybe even a giveaway) coming your way soon.
For now, this is just a heads-up that we might be a bit quiet while we pack up and move, but don’t worry—we’ll be back, Awesomely Black, and stronger than ever. Thanks for sticking with us through all these changes.
See you on the other side!
The Awesome Black Team
