New Opportunity for Young Creatives
Wednesday 12th November
Are you a young creative looking to build a career in the music industry?
In partnership with Suffolk County Council, the JPC is launching the Young Creatives Programme, offering 20 fully-funded places for musicians, songwriters, producers, independent creators, and self-starters in music aged 18-30.
It will take place over the course of six months, offering monthly talks, Q&As, and workshops from industry experts that will develop skills in all areas across the board. One of the main features of this course will be creating a collaborative environment that we hope will carry forward after the six months is over, so we will provide access to a regular co-working space and work to connect fellow artists.
For more information, keep an eye on our social media and website. We’ll be taking applications soon.
JPC Redevelopment Gets The Green Light
Thursday 25th September
We are delighted to share that on 24th September, the Mid Suffolk District Council Planning Committee gave unanimous approval for the John Peel Centre's £1.3 million expansion in Stowmarket. This is a big step forward for us!
Reconnecting the Old NatWest Bank at 11 Market Place with the JPC venue in Church Walk, our plans include the refurbishment of a magnificent first-floor Ballroom with lift access, a basement recording studio, and a new town centre entrance. The expansion will ultimately allow us to deliver more events and bring even more music and arts to the centre of Stowmarket.
With £615,000 recently awarded from the Stowmarket Town Gateway 14 Fund, we are now actively seeking further funds and donations to make this long-term dream a reality. Thanks to everyone for your support so far!
Glyn Johns: The Exhibition continues in Richmond
Friday 5th September
After a fantastic launch at the John Peel Centre, the Glyn Johns Exhibition is now on tour, and its next stop is Books on the Rise in Richmond!
Told through the stories of 25 key albums which define the legendary producers career working with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and many more, this exhibition will take place in the gallery space of the bookshop, Book on the Rise in Richmond, and will run from September 4th-October 16th.
This tour is being brought to Richmond by the John Peel Centre in partnership with The Loom Creative Networks. We’re delighted to see it continue its journey and inspire new audiences.
Attitude is Everything Bronze Award
Thursday 4th September
The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive environment for all visitors, artists, staff, and volunteers. In 2025, we strengthened this commitment by joining the Attitude is Everything Live Events Access Charter. The Charter serves as a framework to support and promote inclusive practices, building disability equality into all aspects of business. It brings together industry professionals who share the goal of making live events accessible to everyone. Becoming a Bronze awardee marks the first step in our ongoing commitment to greater inclusivity at the JPC. By working and training with Attitude is Everything, a disability-led organisation, we underline our long-term commitment to removing barriers and making accessibility a core value in everything we do.
FOMO Fest
Monday 1st September
Wow, what an incredible day for Stowmarket!
On Saturday, over 2,000 music lovers came together to celebrate the joy of live music. It was amazing to see; the community spirit was great, and we couldn’t be prouder to have been part of it.
A huge thank you to FOMO Fest for inviting us to take part, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who came out to support it. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
We’ll be back next year with a bigger stage and more incredible bands, so be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, 5th September 2026.
We look forward to returning to the beautiful Food Museum grounds!
Photos by @photodolly.photos
Welcome to the other side of the JPC!
Monday 25th August
We are excited to announce the launch of The B Side Bar & Bistro, a new night-time music, bar and bistro under the roof of the John Peel Centre (JPC), in Stowmarket at 11 Market Place. Chocolate Tiger Cafe by day, The JPC B Side Bar & Bistro is an intimate, indoor/outdoor evening space with curated tunes, great local beers and wines, and an inspired list of signature cocktails with a nod to famous vinyl B Sides.
Unexpected and relaxed, the Bistro side of things is just getting off the ground. You can expect authentic Thai curry from MON MON Spice on a Thursday, plus cheese and meat sharing platters and accompaniments Thursday, Friday and Saturdays.
Come, stay for the evening and drink good beer and wine, or if you have booked tickets for a gig, pop in for a pre-gig bite (food served 6pm-9pm), or a late night tipple before making your way back home.
Opening times:
6pm - 11pm Thursday
6pm - 11.30pm Friday
6pm - 11.30pm Saturday
Food available 6pm-9pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Thai available Thursday night only.
