Mariapoala McGurk, or MP as she is known, is the Public Programmes Coordinator at Constitutional Hill andis currently working on developing the Creative Uprising Hub. MP started the Coloured Cube in 2014 in a warehouse in Benrose as a space for creatives to meet and connect. This grew into the Co-Lab, a communal space where creatives could have access to shared tools and equipment as well as peer support and training. Constitution Hill has held many cultural festivals and creative programmes so an institutional framework for cultural networking is already in place. Enter the third player in this creative hub: Robbie Brozin of Nando’s fame (and flame) who has always been a visionary, lobbied for local, backed the creative industry and been a supporter of entrepreneurship and change makers. With so many creatives having to abandon their careers after the devastating effects of Covid Lockdown as well as the shocking mismanagement of the sector’s funding from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme, one only hopes that this initiative is not too late for a decimated industry. Renos Nicos Spanoudes chats to Mariapoala during Saturday’s Role on Hellenic Radio. Listen to the podcast and find out more!
