A NEW hub of creativity has opened its doors in Dorchester.

Forge Creative is a digital arts hub in Trinity Street offering music recording, music tutoring and music technology tutoring, photography tutoring, graphic design and web design.

The venture by music producer Ben Wilde and photographer Jake Young hopes to tackle the conception that people gave to leave Dorchester to do anything creative in the digital arts industry.

They have been supported by the Princes Trust in setting up Forge Creative and hope to forge links with Weymouth College so they can run accredited courses there in the future.

Photographer Jake, a former Thomas Hardye School teacher, will be teaching photography in the upstairs studio, which is also available for use by local photographers.

He said: "We are a creative hub in Dorchester.

"People have been really excited about it."

Managing director Ben said there had been an interest from a whole range of people in the project and had been spreading the message in local schools and colleges.

Originally from Yorkshire, Ben said he discovered the need for somewhere offering the kind of creative hub that was being offered by Forge.

They have been pulling out all the stops to redecorate the premises and have installed high quality equipment.

Ben said they have been really well received by their neighbouring businesses in the town and he was excited to launch the project.

He said: "I noticed when I came down here some of the young people thought to do anything creative you have to move away and get out of Dorchester.

"I think Dorchester has so much to offer so we are trying to show there is still so much going on here."

Ben added that it had been great to have the Princes Trust involved in the project and they had helped to give him confidence that it could be achieved.

For more information visit forge-creative.co.uk