Emerging Creative Associates

Emerging Creative Associates is a 6-month development programme for early career creatives living in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. The programme is designed to guide and support the next generation of writers and artists in the region.

Over 6-months, participants are supported to develop their practice through training, mentoring and networking. The package of support, worth more than £1,500 includes:

A £500 bursary grant
Access to a £500 individual fund to put towards bespoke development needs
Three sessions with an industry mentor
Group craft sessions and skills support

How we've helped previous Emerging Creative Associates

Kym Deyn (The Braag)

Kym Deyn is a writer and facilitator based in Newcastle. Their work is widely published in anthologies and magazines including Butcher’s Dog and Popshot, and was selected for the Primer’s Nine Arches scheme. In 2023, Kym received support to start up a publishing arm of The Braag CIC. The Braag Press now publishes poetry and speculative fiction while supporting emerging artists in the North East of England.

Since 2023, The Braag has published the anthology Unfurl, a selected of poetry pamphlets and micro chapbooks, with further titles releasing 2024/25.
Ilisha Thiru Purcell

Ilisha Thiru Purcell is is a poet based in and from Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2023, Ilisha received support to develop work inspired by classical Tamil love poetry with her mentor Shash Trevett. Following the programme, she was selected onto the Poets of Colour Incubator scheme. Her work has appeared in publications such as Popshot, The Butcher’s Dog and Dear Damsels.

In November, Ilisha was shortlisted for the James Berry Poetry Prize 2024, run by Bloodaxe Books and Newcastle University.
Georgia Conlon

Georgia is currently studying her MA in Writing Poetry at Newcastle University. She was shortlisted in the 2024 Aesthetica Creative Writing Award and her poetry has been published in journals including The North. While an Emerging Creative Associate, Georgia developed a poetry collection and delivered a series of poetry workshops, The Material Girl.

Emerging Creative Associates 2025

Ali Choudhary

Ali is a writer, poet and multi-disciplinary artist exploring adolescence, resistance, and the poetics of violence in his work.
Alys Cummings

Alys is a journalist and writer living on the North Tyneside coast. Her debut novel The Answer is Murder is a crime story set in an alcohol recovery group, featuring crosswords, wordplay and an ensemble cast of characters. It won the Pitch Perfect prize at the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival in September 2024. Alys recently completed the New Writing North Sounds Good programme, writing, recording and editing a pilot for an audio drama. She is also a member of the North East Novelists.
George Cochrane

George is a journalist and editor based in Newcastle. His writing has appeared in the TLS, Financial Times, Spectator and Telegraph, among other publications. He is currently working on his first novel.
Holly Turner

Holly is a 23 year-old writer from Northumberland. Her work primarily focuses on stories that are close and personal, such as growing up in working class areas, mental health struggles and tackling the core issues of what life is like for the modern day young woman. Her previous projects have included playwriting and journalism. She has chosen to work on a collection of personal essays for the Emerging Creative Associates programme.
Jake Wilson Craw

Jake is a playwright, comedy writer and actor from Newcastle. He’s had plays performed by Live Theatre, Blowin’ A Hooley and Less is MORE. He writes comedy with his sketch group The Muses and has written audio sketches for Fowk Tales. He’s an actor, improviser and clown and should probably write a play with a part for himself.
Mack Sproates

Mack is a theatre maker, facilitator and zine maker based in Newcastle. Their work is joyful, playful, cut and stick, silly and raw; aiming to help marginalised people’s voices feel seen and heard. They are inspired by DIY punk scenes, pop-culture, music and comic books and are a co-host of Alphabetti’s queer cult comedy cabarets, such as JAWS (but gay), GAYLIEN and the upcoming Pedro Pascal says Trans Rights Cabaret. Most recently Mack has been working in music and creative arts journalism as an editorial assistant for NARC. Magazine.

Photo by TjMov
Megan Jepson

Megan is an award-winning visual creative based in Newcastle upon Tyne, celebrated for her striking work in photography, directing, and editing. A bold storyteller with a sharp eye and a fearless approach, Megan has become a leading creative force in the region. Her portfolio boasts dynamic, visually arresting projects crafted in collaboration with renowned global brands. At the heart of her work is a deep commitment to authenticity and amplifying the strength, resilience, and spirit of individuals from historically overlooked and underrepresented communities.
Quinn Clark

Quinn is an author and poet based in Newcastle. Their work often focuses on disability, neurodivergence and trauma, and they have been published with Summersdale Publishing (‘365 Days of Healing’) and Unbound (‘No One Talks About This Stuff’). Quinn works with a number of disabled-led charities (CRIPtic Arts, Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance, etc.) as well as Arts Council England, providing access support to disabled/neurodivergent artists. Currently they are working on their debut sci-fi novel, Out of Your Depth, about a man who grows octopus arms when his skin touches saltwater.
Tamsin Rees

Tamsin (they/them) is a writer based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Their debut play CHEER UP SLUG was produced by Live Theatre and is published with Bloomsbury Methuen. They are part of the Channel 4 Screenwriting 2025 programme, writing an original queer romantic comedy sitcom set in the North East. Tamsin is currently being supported by New Writing North to develop their debut novel BITCH CASSIDY with mentorship from novelist Alice Slater.
William Kerr

Will was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. He studied literature up to Master’s level. He lives in Heaton and works in speciality coffee. In 2023, he co-founded Poetry in the North, an events and publishing collective that promotes grassroots writing in the North East through regular meet ups and quarterly zines (PITN print).

Photo by David Hall (@nostalgia_kid)