A new “flagship” arts festival will be coming to Newcastle next summer – and organisers are taking inspiration from the Edinburgh Fringe.
City culture bosses are working up plans for a major new event that could feature public art installations, exhibitions, and music and dance performances. It is hoped that the festival, currently under the working title of Newcastle Creates, will become an annual event – with a pilot scheduled for August 2023 before the first full extravaganza in 2024.
Coun John Paul-Stephenson, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for public health and culture, wants the celebrations to have the same “vibe” as the Fringe, although the event will not be as large as the Scottish capital’s showpiece. He said: “It has been really exciting to develop the concept of the Newcastle Cultural Festival over the last year.
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“Our ambition is that it will grow from a pilot event into a flagship annual event celebrating what culture can bring to our communities, and show off what our strong communities can bring. Culture is a broad concept and means different things to different people. There has to be something for everyone, and everything for someone. This will grow.
“My ambition is to have the same spirit, vibe and inclusivity as the Edinburgh Fringe – it won’t be on that enormous scale, and many may be relieved by that, but we can still do amazing things. There is the will, talent and passion for it.
“We have an amazing cultural offer in Newcastle, with passionate people. We need to celebrate that and show it off to develop our international reputation.”
The last major cultural festival held in Newcastle was the Great Exhibition of the North in 2018, an 80-day event that included a spectacular opening ceremony on the Quayside and exhibits including the return of Stephenson’s Rocket to Tyneside. Its organisers said the event boosted Newcastle’s economy by more than £38m, but it was criticised in some quarters for not engaging enough with communities in the city. A water fountain on the Tyne that was one of the festival's centrepieces was also broken after a boat sailed over it.
A council report describes Newcastle Creates as a “cornerstone” of a 10-year package of events across Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland which will be “capable of achieving national and international profile”. The 2023 pilot is expected to have a budget of £250,000, paid for by the city council and the North of Tyne Combined Authority, with the full event in 2024 then costing £500,000.
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A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “Newcastle is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and we’re working with the North of Tyne Combined Authority and other partners to harness this into a real celebration of the arts in Newcastle and wider region. We currently do not have a centrepiece cultural festival in Newcastle and a city of our size and stature should have such an annual focal point. There is so much already for people to enjoy and experience but we can do more to highlight the many artistic and creative individuals, communities and groups in our city, and show more of our residents and visitors what Newcastle has to offer.
“It is essential for us that there is a high level of community engagement to ensure people in Newcastle can truly contribute to the development of this event. Planning for the Newcastle Creates pilot, due to take place next summer, is in its early stages, we are excited to be building an extensive and inclusive summer festival for everyone to enjoy and will share further details closer to the time.”
