The announcement of Arts Council England's new Investment Programme has brought good news for 55 cultural and creative organisations across the region, including 14 first-timers to the scheme.
Among those set to benefit are landmarks such as Sage Gateshead and Baltic art gallery as well as TWAM and two Newcastle theatres, alongside small venues. While the boost to the coffers will kick in from 2023-26, knowing what to expect has brought a measure of relief to the region's arts and culture sector as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
In total, the Arts Council says it will be increasing funding by £2.9m a year through its national portfolio, meaning a total investment of £73.1m over the three-year period. And it says this will mean more people in more places will have an opportunity to take part in creative activities and tp enjoy quality cultural experiences on their doorstep.
Read more: 'Great news': reaction to £10m support packages for Newcastle museums and galleries
Northern Stage and Live Theatre in Newcastle are set to receive a share of the investment while others include Redhills in Durham which celebrates local history and mining heritage plus Sunderland Culture; Theatre Hullabaloo in Darlington; Middlesbrough Town Hall and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, and ARC Stockton Arts Centre.
And 16 organisations - including balletLORENT in Newcastle; Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival; Bloodaxe Books in Hexham; the November Club in Wansbeck and TIN Arts in County Durham have been picked out to receive extra investment as part of an aim to create a national portfolio that is more representative of the country, in terms of geography, audiences and workforce.
In addition there are also 14 venues which are new to the Investment Programme and these include dance organisation Company of Others in Newcastle. The idea here is to help areas where investment and opportunity has been too low in the past.
Among those receiving first-time investment will be Jarrow Hall in South Tyneside; Northern Heartlands in County Durham; Headway Arts in Blyth; South Tyneside Libraries; The Auxiliary Project Space in Middlesbrough, and The Festival of Thrift in Redcar which attracts around 50,000 visitors a year with its sustainability ethos.
The Arts Council says it is also investing in organisations that support and develop work for children and young people as well as in skills development to grow local talent
Another first-time recipient will be theatre company Mortal Fools which works with thousands of young people each year, providing drama groups for children as well as creative education workshops for schools across Northumberland. And it is delighted to be included.
Kiz Crosbie, Mortal Fools' chief executive officer and artistic director, said: "We’re over the moon that Arts Council have added us to their next national portfolio – a wonderful piece of news to receive in our 10th birthday year. As a purpose-driven organisation, we are excited to use the support from Arts Council to work alongside other sector colleagues to bring about positive change for the cultural sector – especially following the last several tumultuous years."
The 55 North East organisations set to benefit in 2023-26
• A-NThe Artists Information Company
• ARC Stockton Arts Centre
• The Association of Cultural Enterprises
• The Auxiliary Project Space - a new addition to the portfolio
• balletLORENT
• Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust
• Beamish Museum
• Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival
• Berwick Maltings
• Bloodaxe Books
• The Bowes Museum
• Company of Others - a new addition
• The Customs House
• Dance City
• Durham County Council
• Family Arts Campaign - a new addition
• Festival of Thrift - a new addition
• The Forge
• Future Arts Centres - a new addition
• Gem Arts
• Generator North East
• Headway Arts - a new addition
• Helix Arts
• Inpress
• Jarrow Hall - a new addition. The museum brings Anglo-Saxon history to life for South Tynesidethrough exhibitions, events and collections
• The Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company
• Live Theatre
• Middlesbrough Town Hall
• Mortal Fools - a new addition
• National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
• New Writing North
• The NewBridge Project
• Northern Heartlands - a new addition. The organisation develops cultural projects working with local communities in County Durham
• Northern Print
• Northern Stage
• November Club
• Open Clasp Theatre Company
• Queen’s Hall Arts
• Redhills CIO - a new addition
• Sage Gateshead
• Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books
• South Tyneside Libraries - a new addition. This has four sites, including The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, in South Shields.
• Southpaw Dance Productions - a new addition. The company produces innovative work ranging from solo performances to large-scale outdoor spectacles in Newcastle and Sunderland
• Stockton International Riverside Festival
• Sunderland Culture
• Surface Area Dance Theatre - a new addition. This creates a variety of live and digital performances and brings international artists to the region for collaborations in Newcastle and Sunderland
• Tees Valley Arts -
• Tees Valley Museum Group
• Teesside University
• Theatre Hullabaloo
• TIN Arts
• Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums
• Unfolding Theatre
• Vane Contemporary Art
• Woodhorn Charitable Trust
Jane Tarr, director of North at Arts Council England, said of the Investment Progamme: "This will help more people across the North East to enjoy culture and creative activities where they live, and place creativity at the core of communities across the region. This diverse range of organisations of all sizes, in villages, towns and cities throughout the North East, will help to bring communities together through culture, attract tourists to the region, and boost the area’s thriving creative industries, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they create in the years to come.”
Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan added that the extra investment of almost £3m a year in the region will transfrom arts organisations, opening up access for all and allowing people to experience world class arts and culture in their local areas. For information about the national portfolio organisations see here.
Read next:
