Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Debbie McQuoid

‘We put our money where our mouth is’: how the arts are transforming the north-east of England

Kim McGuinness Northumbria University Gabriel Brown New Writing North
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Keith Brownlie, Wilkinson Eyre Architects) between Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne and the River Tyne, the Sage Gateshead (Norman Foster architect) on the left, the Tyne bridge on the background
Newcastle upon Tyne is home to a thriving creative sector, with Northumbria University at the heart of it. Photograph: Maremagnum/Getty Images

There has been no shortage of creative talent from the north-east. The region’s writers have created work that has educated generations (Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories) and been reimagined by Hollywood (Lee Hall’s Billy Elliot). Even those not from the region have chosen to base their most famous creations there (Ann Cleeves’ Vera).

Approximately 60,000 people are now working in the wider region’s creative and cultural industries, and north-east mayor Kim McGuinness wants to see this increase. Her 10-year local growth plan aims to transform the north-east into a cultural powerhouse to rival current heavyweights, such as London and Glasgow.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
US Schools Record Nearly 12,000 Book Bans, the Highest Ever in a Single Year, as 'Jane Eyre' and 'Lessons in Chemistry' Join the List
PEN America reports nearly 12,000 book-ban instances in US schools, a record total, as Texas overtakes Florida and AI tools enter the removal process.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Alice Zaslavsky’s shortcut beetroot baked risotto – recipe
An unconventional technique makes this vibrant rice – finished with dill fronds – a lower-touch dinner for weeknights
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.
The Conversation
The Conversation
There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow
Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.
Motor1
Motor1
How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections
Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?
The Conversation
The Conversation
Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston
An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play