Docking Station Q&A for Locate in Kent

At the heart of Chatham’s Historic Dockyard, an ambitious and transformative project is underway. The creation of Docking Station will breathe new life into Police Section House, a Grade II listed building and one of the Dockyard’s Scheduled Ancient Monuments, transforming it into a state-of-the-art creative production facility. Set to open in late 2026, Docking Station blends heritage with innovation, strengthening Medway’s status as a hub for cutting-edge digital and immersive technologies.

Led by the University of Kent’s Institute of Culture & Creative Industries (iCCi), in partnership with Medway Council and the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Docking Station will offer world-class facilities, including virtual production, motion capture studios, teaching labs, exhibition and co-working space.

The project will unlock new opportunities for local communities, young people, and creative businesses across Kent, Medway, and the wider South-East region, while supporting one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors.

In this interview, we speak to Willian Draffin, Director of Digital and Future Technologies for the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries (iCCi) to learn more about how this exciting project will drive innovation, boost skills, and spark cultural engagement across the region.

Tell us a bit of background about the iCCi and your role

The iCCi is an institute based at the University of Kent which forms an interface between the university and the academic community generally and the cultural and creative industry.

My role is to work on the digital transformation of the cultural and creative industries, the adoption of digital and immersive technologies in things like theatre and film, but also in the wider creative industries. When we think about the creative industries, we often think about filmmaking, or we may possibly think about computer games or short form video influencing and TikTok. But a lot of the creative industries don’t actually work directly in media production. They are an important part of every sector, from healthcare to engineering.

I’ve been working with my brilliant Project Director, Caroline Dennis, who has looked after the project from its inception about four years ago. I’ve come in to look operationally at what the function of the building is including the technologies that will be in the building. How the project will interface with the government sector plan, the university and our communities in Medway and the wider Kent area is also a key part of the job.

How is the Docking Station project progressing?

We’re currently halfway through the renovation of the Police Section House, which will house co-working facilities and post-production studios, with the studio building as the next stage.  We’ve also got some additional spaces in the Dockyard, which we are retaining during the development phase, which are already turning out some excellent community work, and hosting digital artists in residence.

When did the work start?

We started in January (2025) on the Police Section House, and for the first few months, it was largely survey work, stripping out and internal demolition.

The building was built in the early 1860s for the Metropolitan police force as they took over the role of policing all Royal Dockyards. The building was originally purpose-built accommodation for unmarried Officers, after they left in 1932 it’s had a mix of use including the Ministry of Defence, a shipping office and storage, It has been disused since the closure of the dockyard in 1984

Since April there’s been some remedial structural works in the building as well as reconfiguration of doorways and internal walls, new floor slab, lift shaft installation, window restoration with some original features restored.

Have there been any surprises along the way?

Yes, there have been a few. While taking out some of the plaster in the ceiling, an annotated Bible fell out. So clearly, a police officer had been reading in the cupula (the lookout at the top of the building). The bible has somehow fallen into the roof space at some point, and we’ve uncovered that.

They’ve been using a technique called photogrammetry, where you fly a drone over the surface and create a 3D digital model of it.

This is a great example of where we’re already using some of the technology that we’ll be hosting at the Docking Station to work on the archaeology and digital heritage side of the building. We’ve got to get some permissions around removal and preservation connected to these works before starting on the studio building around October time.

Take us on a tour of the new Docking Station

It’s a project that comes in two parts. The Police Section House is the existing historic building and a new soundstage and studio spaces is being built at the back. This will allow for the soundproofing we’ll need and the structural loading for a lot of the filming activities, simulations and other exciting things that we’re going to do.

The new studio building will host a 16×16 sqm studio, a 9×9 sqm studio, a data centre and all the bits that you need to make a studio space work – from green rooms and dressings rooms to hair and make-up.

As you come into the Police Section House, there will be a reception to the front. Turn left and there’s going to be a gallery and display space where artists can showcase digital work and a café that will be open to everyone – whether that to see immersive art by local artists or to interact with businesses that will be located here.

On the first floor there will be co-working space and bookable pre- and post- production studios. That will really be micro enterprises and freelancers working in the creative and immersive industries who aren’t quite ready for a full-time office or even a full-time desk yet. The second floor will have office space for anchor tenants, those businesses who have taken that next step.

So, it is very much an incubator and launch pad with further office opportunities around the Historic Dockyard. The idea is that people will be able to move through – from starting out with their business to being a fully formed media business – all on the one campus as it were – with the availability of cutting-edge studios as well

Who will the co-working space be aimed at?

The idea is that if you’re a photographer setting out or someone who operates a drone and is expanding into photogrammetry, there will be office space where you’ll be able to develop and get the wrap around support to become a fully-fledged commercial business. We’ll work with organisations like Digital Catapult and Innovate UK to make sure that there are real opportunities for the people that take that space. We’re also working closely with Kent Business School at the University of Kent, MidKent College and with Medway Council.

Tell us about the community engagement programme?

Our programme is wider than just enterprise. We have a comprehensive engagement programme, led by our Heritage and Engagement Officer, Esther Lutman.  This includes visits to schools and colleges or hosting animation workshops for young people with partner organisations like Electric Medway and Temple of Kulture.

If you imagine taking a journey as a young person in Medway. The aim is that if you’re interested in any way in the creative industries, you’re going to have an interaction with the Docking Station right from the start. At primary school, for example, we’ve got an education programme where we bring in some of the immersive technology that we will have here into the classroom.

We’re currently working on integrating some off these immersive techniques with the heritage of the building. Once open we’ll host school visits including our motion capture studio, perhaps to film an avatar for the school pantomime. The whole idea will be to take a real integrated approach as young people move from primary through secondary and onto further or higher education.

Where do you hope this will lead in terms of building skills?

If you choose the creative industries for your career then once you finish your compulsory education, you may come directly into our co-working space as a freelancer. We’re also working with Medway School of Arts to try and integrate our spaces into their curriculum so that they’ve got access to some cutting-edge Creative Technology facilities within their digital design and filmmaking courses.

We’re also working closely with East Kent College. They’ve got a great new facility opening at Margate Digital as well as campus across that region including Dover, where the Dover Beacon project is taking shape. We’re also looking to building that provision into what we’re doing at the University of Kent. We’ll be looking at using the facilities to aid our teaching but also give our students enterprise opportunities.

What impact will the Docking Station have on the creative sector in Medway, Kent and the Thames Estuary more broadly?

The Royal Dockyard Chatham was a centre of innovation and industry for 400 years prior to its closure in 1984. We’re part of the next chapter on a site that is being transformed again. This is being mirrored across the Thames Estuary region.

The Docking Station represents a solid government investment in Medway, one of a network of creative technology hubs that will exist across the UK. Our aim is to be an additional resource for the amazing work that’s already being done by organisations located here.  This is about hands-on-technology, provide a space to try things out and build, even if it’s not immediately successful.  We’re not here to supplant or to replace what exists now. We’re here to support the amazing work that they do. By bringing this facility we’re enabling the creative talent in Medway to use and be trained in new and growing technologies: from AI, immersive tech and 3D to virtual production, filmmaking and mixed reality.

We’re aiming through our programmes to de-risk the cost of access to this tech as well as providing enterprise support. We’re about being a focal point for the amazing system that exists with places like Sun Pier House, Nucleus Arts and Electric Medway but isn’t quite complete yet in Medway. This will be a place regionally where everyone can come, meet and collaborate. In many ways, we’re standing on the shoulders of giants building on the work of the UK government’s sector plan, the Thames Estuary Growth Board, the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, and particularly the Creative Estuary project which funded the initial scoping works. We want to really drive up GVA so that we can provide economic growth and development through the region by leveraging the amazing talent that we have in the creative industries.

What will you consider to be success for the Docking Station in five years’ time?

We want to see the studio buildings being a commercial success, funding themselves and funding our programmes, but this is not a for-profit business. Our aim is to provide a world class facility for Medway and the region. Within five years, I would like to see a number of businesses spun out, would like to see some of our social enterprises in Medway having developed their commercial offerings with our support, I’d like to see the filmmakers that are already coming into the Dockyard using our studios and using our facilities. But also, I would like to see our young people and our lifelong and young learners being able to showcase their talent. In terms of social impact in Medway I really want to see awareness of the cultural and creative industries and creative technology take a leap in Medway, and the belief that the creative and immersive industries are for them. I want people in Medway to realise that there are jobs and opportunities for them in this sector. It’s about building that belief and awareness and bringing that into our communities.

Creative Estuary and Medway Council funding kick-started project development by enabling the completion of feasibility studies which has paved the way for further investment.  

Medway Council secured funding from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (MHCLG), and the iCCi were awarded grants from the Arts Council England’s Cultural Development Fund (DCMS), National Lottery Heritage Fund and Colyer Fergusson Charitable Trust for engagement activities in the community.

To find more about the project, including ways to get involved, visit the University of Kent website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/institute-cultural-creative-industries/dockingstation