Creative Central NCL is supporting a new centre for writing to be located in central Newcastle
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) have announced that £5m of its Cultural Development Fund will be spent in the region to help develop a new centre for writing and publishing in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The centre, led by New Writing North, will be in the heart of Creative Central NCL, in the Grade II-listed Bolbec Hall on Westgate Road.
Claire Malcolm, CEO of New Writing North, said: “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. Creative writing is the backbone of the UK’s world-leading creative industries, which employ 2.4 million. It also plays a vital role in wellbeing 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. It will also bring writers and readers together in a space which celebrates the power of storytelling.”
The centre will house programmes, events, and courses designed to inspire and educate writers of all backgrounds and experience levels. It will also host commercial publishers, academic partnerships, and community engagement initiatives, creating an ecosystem where creativity and commerce thrive side by side.
This project represents a significant collaboration between Creative Central NCL, Newcastle City Council, New Writing North, and Northumbria University, along with industry leaders such as Hachette UK, Faber & Faber, and Simon & Schuster.
“We’re extremely proud to be a part of this bold new project, which will be a beacon for our city’s creative talent and ambition,” said Economic Development Officer at Newcastle City Council and Creative Central NCL’s project lead, Vikki Leaney.
“The purpose of Newcastle’s Culture and Creative Zone (CCZ), aka Creative Central NCL, is to build up and support a new ecosystem for the creative industries. That means nurturing the types of jobs, opportunities and investments that keep talented, creative people in our city and attract people from further afield.
“The centre for writing supports our long-term strategic aims to make the city centre a place where independent artists, creative professionals, and cultural organisations thrive and grow, bringing jobs, investment, tourism, and vibrancy.”
The impact of this project extends far beyond Newcastle. By integrating arts, academia, media, and publishing in one dynamic space, the centre will serve as a model for regional creative development.
The North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “This is a big vote of confidence in the North East’s creative potential and will burnish our reputation as a leading region for the creative industries, with new jobs and opportunities coming 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. The North East is a region on the rise and taking its rightful place in the world – standing tall and proud on the national and world stage, thanks to our world-class arts, culture, and creativity.”