Creative freelancers unite to form new collective

A group of experienced North East communications professionals have joined forces to launch a new collective offering specialist marketing, creative and digital services.

NE Comms Collective brings together six established freelancers to provide organisations across the public, private and third sectors with access to expertise spanning communications, PR, marketing, design, digital and campaign delivery.

The partnership comprises David Brookbanks of Ludlow Street; marketing consultant Becky Madeley; communications specialist Emma Pybus; Ben Miners of creative agency Ben and Viv; PPC and LinkedIn Ads specialist Jade Gillham; and designer Simon Canaway, founder of creative studio Supanaught.

All six members run their own businesses and have collaborated on projects for more than a decade, combining experience gained through freelance work, in-house roles and consultancy.

Collectively, they have worked with organisations including the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority; Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art; The Glasshouse International Centre for Music; North East Museums; North Tyneside Council; Blue Cabin, Museums Northumberland; Newcastle Rugby; North East Screen; Invest North East England; Gateshead College; and Ways to Wellness.

The collective’s combined offer covers public relations, marketing strategy, campaign delivery, stakeholder engagement, digital communications, web content, search engine optimisation, design and creative services, enabling clients to access a broad range of specialist expertise through a single partnership.

David Brookbanks, founding partner of NE Comms Collective, said: “As freelance practitioners, we all have a flexible, adaptable and collaborative approach to working. 

“We also have decades of experience and provide the kind of senior counsel organisations really benefit from. 

“NE Comms Collective is about bringing those skills together, so clients benefit from the full-service communications you’d expect from a traditional agency, but with the in-depth knowledge, strategic delivery, and senior experience of freelance practitioners. 

“Freelancers can often be overlooked for bigger contracts as there’s an assumption we won’t have the resources or capacity to deliver all the elements. 

“In fact, freelance practitioners offer one of the most flexible approaches to contract delivery as we can scale our operations through partnership and collaboration. 

“NE Comms Collective formalises that process and allows clients to see the rich pool of freelance talent they can have access to.”

David added: “Individually, we’ve each had a hugely positive impact on the clients we’ve worked with, whether that’s creating and implementing a brand identity, devising and delivering strategic communications campaigns, or creating content across a range of different platforms.

“Through NE Comms Collective we can combine our talents and help organisations working in any sector to effectively communicate with their audiences. 

“Our approach is always about providing practical, targeted and achievable solutions that deliver against campaign objectives.”

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