Capital Works
New centre for writing
New Writing North and Northumbria University are to create a centre for writing in Newcastle.
The centre will be a public building which will hold events and courses for writers based in the north. It will host programmes, courses, and events for professional and aspiring writers, for those who write purely for the love of it and for those who want to try creative writing for the first time.
It will be a place for communities across the region to engage with creative writing, literature and reading. The centre will mean growing New Writing North and furthering our ambition to nurture writers from across the region. We know that whilst talent is everywhere the opportunities are not.
The centre will strengthen Newcastle’s ambitions to become a national hub for writing and publishing and contribute to its growing status as a creative industries leader. The centre will be the first of its kind involving a cross-section of nationwide partners – from the arts, academia, media, and publishing industries – based in one, single dynamic site.
Alongside space for commercial publishers, a floor will be dedicated to Northumbria University, a key partner in the project. Students will be taught in this space so they can engage with other organisations within the centre. This will provide unique opportunities for networking, collaboration, and experiential learning, opening doors for them into the publishing industry.
The capital works campaign for the new centre is backed by local government and the North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, with support from publishers including Hachette UK, Faber & Faber and Simon & Schuster.
The plans for the centre received £5 million from Department for Culture, Media, and Sport as part of its Cultural Development Fund. This funding will unlock further significant funding from regional partners.
If you are interested in finding out more, please email [email protected]