DCMS backs £5m writing centre in Newcastle

A Newcastle-based creative centre for writing and publishing will receive £5m funding from the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of a £60m package for the creative industries announced by government last week.

The centre for writing is one of four cultural projects sharing £16.2m from the Cultural Development Fund alongside a new facility for glass making in Sunderland, a music education centre in Sheffield and a cultural centre in Weston-super-Mare.

Led by New Writing North (NWN) – an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation – and Northumbria University, the funding campaign for the centre was backed by local government, with support from commercial publishers including Hachette UK, Faber & Faber and Simon & Schuster.

Based in Bolbec Hall, a vacant 100-year-old, Grade II listed seven-storey building near Newcastle’s Central Station, DCMS said the centre is expected to support more than 100 trainees and attract 35 creative businesses to the city.

The venue, which will be operated by NWN, will host a variety of partners from the arts, academia, media and publishing while also offering affordable, flexible workspace for writers and creative freelancers.

Northumbria University will occupy one floor and the building will also house an audiobook production studio, creative space for TV and film producers and developers, and a café and independent bookshop.

‘An inclusive economy’

Dan Monnery, chief strategy officer at Northumbria University, said combining the creative industries with education, skills and research under one roof will help build “an inclusive economy”.

“A new hub for talented writers in the north of England will help drive social mobility by providing better opportunities for individuals from the region to engage with writing and publishing,” said Monnery.

“It will grow existing – and drive new – research activity and networks within the industry. And critically, it will support and create experiential learning opportunities for our students, such as placements and live projects, to support their future employability.”

The project leaders hope to raise another £10m to open the centre by 2028. DCMS’s backing is expected to help unlock further funding from regional sources over the next two years, as well as from trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, the National Lottery and individuals.

‘Vibrant publishing hubs’

NWN said the centre will be the first of its kind involving a cross section of
nationwide partners based in one single dynamic site.

“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,” said Claire Malcolm, CEO of NWN, who spearheaded the campaign.

“Creative writing is the backbone of the UK’s world-leading creative industries, which employ 2.4 million [people]. It also plays a vital role in well-being 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.”

David Shelley, chief executive of Hachette Book Group, which works with NWN on initiatives to rebalance career opportunities in publishing, added that the two organisations believe that by establishing “vibrant publishing hubs strategically across the UK”, they will collectively “reach more readers and nurture diverse creative talent”.

Calling the investment “a big vote of confidence” in the North East’s creative potential, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said it would bring new jobs and opportunities to the region in writing, TV, and film.

“The centre for writing will help transform people’s life chances, unearth hidden talent, and ensure our voice is heard,” said McGuiness.