£10 million investment to spark creative potential

The North East is set to benefit from a £10 million investment to enhance its cultural and creative industries, with funding allocated to two landmark projects in Newcastle and Sunderland.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has awarded £5 million to establish a new centre for writing and publishing in Newcastle. 

Led by charity New Writing North and Northumbria University and backed by local government and North East mayor Kim McGuinness, the centre will nurture the next generation of writers and provide a hub to “celebrate the power of storytelling”. 

Major publishers, including Hachette UK, Simon & Schuster and Faber & Faber, have pledged their support for the initiative, which will be based in the historic Bolbec Hall, a 100-year-old Grade II-listed building on Westgate Road which is next door to the Literary and Philosophical Society.

The centre will offer courses, events and professional opportunities, supporting aspiring and established writers. It will also build on Northumbria University’s existing MA Publishing programme, designed with Hachette to equip students with industry-ready skills.

Claire Malcolm, chief executive officer of New Writing North, who spearheaded the campaign, said: “We are thrilled and excited that central government has chosen to support our vision for a centre for writing by investing in our region’s cultural economy and infrastructure. 

“Creative writing is the backbone of the UK’s world-leading creative industries which employ 2.4 million. It also plays a vital role in wellbeing and public health. 

“The centre for writing will provide an opportunity to expand our work with communities in the region and to work with even more brilliant Northern talent.

“It will also bring writers and readers together in a space which celebrates the power of storytelling.”

Councillor Karen Kilgour, leader of Newcastle City Council, added: “This is the latest in a series of exciting investment announcements about Newcastle’s creative industries and an incredible time for our city. 

“We want the new centre for writing to have a catalytic impact on our cultural heartbeat, with Bolbec Hall based in our city centre’s conservation area and Newcastle’s Culture and Creative Zone (CCN) known as Creative Central NCL.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland will receive £5 million to develop a new glassmaking centre, preserving the city’s rich heritage while creating opportunities for artists and craftspeople. 

Delivered by Sunderland Culture in partnership with the V&A, the University of Sunderland, and Sunderland City Council, the facility is expected to be a catalyst for regeneration in the city centre.

Nick Malyan, chief executive of Sunderland Culture, the organisation leading the development of Glassworks: Sunderland, said: “We are immensely grateful to DCMS for awarding this grant for Glassworks: Sunderland and recognising the important connection between the city’s proud 1,350-year heritage of glassmaking and our creative future. 

“This is a significant step in ensuring Sunderland remains one of the few nationally significant centres of excellence in the UK with specialist facilities to create and produce in glass.” 

North East mayor Kim McGuinness added: “This is a big vote of confidence in the North East’s creative potential and will burnish our reputation as a leading region for the creative industries, with new jobs and opportunities coming to the region in writing, TV, and film. 

“The North East is a region on the rise and taking its rightful place in the world - standing tall and proud on the national and world stage, thanks to our world-class arts, culture, and creativity.”

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