Peckham, in south east London, has been named as Britain’s most vibrant cultural hotspot by a panel of arts and trends experts.

Placed above cities such as Glasgow, Manchester’s northern quarter and Bristol, the panel decided that Peckham was the brightest area to encourage a social, cultural and creative mix.

The area’s low rents and close proximity to both Goldsmiths and the Camberwell School of Art have led to the establishment of a thriving arts community alongside its award-winning library, designed by Will Alsop.

The list was commissioned by The Fish Can Sing agency. The panel included Ekow Eshun, head of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and former editor of The Face magazine, Richard Benson.

Dan Holliday of The Fish Can Sing said: “We looked for locations that would attract creative people and stimulate them once there. Peckham has a thriving creative community. At the moment, it is London’s best kept secret.”

Second place on the list went to Glasgow city centre while third place went to the Devon town of Totnes for its organic textiles and guitar-making school.

The artist Tracey Emin propelled the City of London fringe – which includes areas such as Brick Lane and Spitalfields – into fourth place and the west Yorkshire birthplace of Ted Hughes, Hebden Bridge, was placed fifth. Details: www.thefishcansing.com