So here's the thing about London and its creative scene right now. You have all these creatives scattered across the city, working alone, scrolling through Instagram, wondering where everyone else is. Where are the spaces that used to bring people together? Half of them got turned into another overpriced cocktail bar and the other half can't afford their rent or have made their services too exclusive for established individuals.

But sometimes two brands meet, and something just clicks right.

Our Shared DNA and Aligned Mission

FORE came to its true glory during lockdown, and Bread & Butter Lounge started just before it hit. Both began the same way – someone in a bedroom deciding they weren't going to wait for the right moment or someone's permission to build something.

Bread and Butter started before COVID from a bedroom as sellers on Depop, but now they have transformed into a vintage street style lifestyle brand with a three-storey building in Shoreditch and a warehouse in Hackney Wick. Their sole purpose? A multi-faceted creative hub" hitting "all creative disciplines, fashion, music, art, photography and food; they use no new stuff, just better ways of using what already exists. FORE took a different path initially but ended up in the same place – why the creative industry has been so gatekept, why the emerging talent gets locked out, and why everyone's competing instead of growing and collaborating together as a community.

Just walk into Bread & Butter and you will see what we mean. A cafe during the day, but transformed into whatever the core community needs at night. Workshops, activation events, brand pop-up store venues, music nights and the list goes on. It's not trying to be everything to everyone but it's trying to be something real and supportive to the people who show up and are connected.

That's the energy FORE recognised. Not another brand looking for a partnership opportunity but a community that actually cares and reciprocates.

London's Third Space Problem Is Real

If we are being honest about what's happening in Shoreditch, it used to be the epicentre for artists to collaborate, live and work together while being able to afford it all. But now it's a place they can only afford if they are lucky enough and have the right advantages. The place that used to nurture growing creative communities is the same place that's driving them out through gentrification, rising costs and development.

Everyone's connected online but isolated and separated in real life, and you can feel it when you talk to people. The creative community in London still has the “crabs in a bucket” mentality where people compete rather than collaborate. And when you don't have real spaces to meet and work together in a straightforward manner, that isolation and agitation make everything worse.

FORE aims towards working collaboratively and building a community first. But you cannot build thriving communities without the right spaces where the magic can happen. Not coworking spaces where you pay £200-£400 monthly to sit beside a bunch of laptops and people who aren't your tribe and niche. Just spaces where creativity can breathe and flourish while connections are being formed naturally.
FORTH Space: Thursdays Just Got Interesting

From June 19th, every other Thursday, Bread & Butter transforms into FORTH Space Social Club. How does it work? Firstly, you show up, then you participate, and you help shape what happens next.

The launch night set the mood with a panel at 9pm. Jordan from FORE, Ben from Bread & Butter, Peter from Sonder Haus, and Tayo from Trash Gang came together to discuss the topic, 'Why communities need third spaces to actually brandish'. But the actual conversation started at 6PM and continued till 11:30PM, accompanied by games, DJ sets, and the sort of discussions that took place when people weren’t performing for each other.

The coming nights will rotate formats. Fashion spotlights for designers who are seeking exposure and digital visibility. Open decks for DJs who need a place to practise and present their craft. Art showcases for visual artists who need walls to hang their work. Lastly, games nights for people who just want to connect without the pressure of “networking”.

Cassiene keeps things flowing as the host, making sure everyone feels welcome.

The membership part matters too. Access to the lounge during off-hours. Photography studio time for your projects. A loyalty card that actually rewards showing up and participating. Not membership fees or exclusive prerequisites – just ways to keep the community connected beyond Thursday nights.
Building Something That Lasts

This is not just about events, but it connects to FORE’s rapidly growing WhatsApp community of 200+ creatives already sharing opportunities, feedback and actual collaborations. The photography studio access means you can create content for your projects and the loyalty system means your participation gets recognised and supported.

But deep down it's all about cross-pollination, where fashion creatives meet musicians and artists connect with entrepreneurs and potential investors. Authentic networks are forming because people are in the same place, not to extract value from one another but to do interesting things and activities together.

That's how we democratise creative industries while removing the barriers, creating spaces and letting talent find talent.
June 19th Onwards: Just Show Up

Free RSVP because money shouldn't be a barrier to community. Bread and Butter Lounge in Shoreditch, EC2A 3AY. Doors open at 6PM, but come whenever it's convenient to you.

This is what FORE means by "fore the community". Not just supporting each other's work but creating the conditions where that support can actually happen. Where bedroom dreams can meet Shoreditch reality and build something that lasts.

The creative work happens when we build together. Thursday nights just became a great place to start.

Click HERE for RSVP | @breadandbutterlounge for location details