Inkubator

Inkubator is a 6-month development programme for writers and freelancers living in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. It is open to practitioners with some facilitation experience looking to develop their skills, and creatives who are interested in using their artistic practice to work with young people and communities.

Inkubator provides writers and creative practitioners with the practical skills and knowledge they need to deliver creative writing workshops with people in schools and community settings. Through the Inkubator programme participants receive training in facilitation and the opportunity to undertake a 10-week placement on New Writing North’s young people and communities programme.

New Writing North introduces people to creative writing through a range of exciting programmes across the North East. From Saturday Young Writers’ Groups, long-term partnerships with primary and secondary schools, and community programmes. We encourage people to experiment and create across forms – whether that’s poetry or prose, song writing or screenplays.

As well as catering for a diverse range of creative disciplines, we want our work to reflect the communities that it serves. Our programme includes the multilingual creative writing programme World Writes, our work with children from asylum seeking and refugee families in Gateshead, and our programme of cultural activity in the Newbiggin Hall Estate.

Participants will receive:

£1050 bursary to support their involvement
10 week placement on a New Writing North programme (up to 1 half day each week, for 10 weeks)
4 group training session
3 sessions with a mentor

‘It’s very fun to experience new writing ways. Writing doesn’t always have to be writing paragraphs and paragraphs of one subject, it can be so many things. With New Writing North, I’ve experienced things such as finding new languages and making poems, mixing things together and it’s been fun in total. I enjoyed everything but I think the thing I enjoyed the most is the haikus. It was really good. Even though it was my first time. I didn’t even know it was possible.’ Marwah (a year 5 pupil)

Course structure

The programme will take place from March-August 2025 and placements will run during term-time between April and July. You will attend four training workshops, three mentoring sessions with an individual mentor, as well as attend a final evaluation session. The programme will allow you to get to know and learn from New Writing North staff and programmes as well as the opportunity to develop your own freelance career.

Training workshops will cover the skills required for facilitation, and be delivered in line with New Writing North’s human-centred approach in engaging and supporting people’s creative ambitions and personal development.

Inkubator placements will largely take place in one of our partner schools although the training will cover work with young people and adults in the community. Placements will be tailored to participants’ skills, interests.

Young Writers’ City is our year-round embedded programme which runs in two primary and four secondary schools serving the lowest 10% of wards within the Index of Multiple Deprivation in Newcastle and Gateshead. We introduce young people to cultural activity in their schools and identify progression routes and co-create cultural provision in their communities. This involves around 1,500 young people, and 600 sessions per year.

Whilst on placement participants have the opportunity to shadow experienced practitioners, lead their own sessions and receive support and feedback from an experienced mentor. At each of our partner schools we tailor the way we work by designing programmes to be responsive to the needs of the school and relevant to the school population. Participants are accompanied by a New Writing North Producer or Lead Writer during their placement.

Who is Inkubator for?

Inkubator is open to applicants living in the Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

You will be motivated by the impact creative engagement can have on the life chances of young people and communities. You will be comfortable in a classroom or community environment, even if you don’t have direct experience working schools or community groups.

You might have experience of working directly with young people, or experience of planning, managing and delivering creative projects with a group of any age, or a specialism in working with young people and/or an understanding of community work outside of creative practice.

We are particularly interested in hearing from you if you have an interest in working in a primary or secondary school context, are a multilingual writer, have experience as a theatre-maker, or are a writer of colour. We will also consider applications from practitioners outside of these areas.

Funding and how to apply

To apply, please fill in this form by midday Monday 20 January 2025.

This project is supported by funding from North East Combined Authority. Because of this, spaces on the programme will be reserved for residents of Newcastle, North Tyneside or Northumberland.

If you have any queries or access requirements at application stage, or would prefer to submit via video or audio file, please email [email protected]

Please note that the New Writing North office will be closed over the Christmas and New Year period. We will answer queries as quickly as we can after Monday 6 January 2025.

Key dates:
Applicants notified of interview: Friday 24 January 2025
Interviews: Week beginning Monday 27 January 2025
First workshop: February 2025
Placements: term time, April-July 2025

Impact case study: Toni Ford

Toni Ford completed the Inkubator training programme in 2023. She now runs regular sessions on New Writing North’s West End Writes and Newbiggin Hall Creates community programmes. Here, Toni talks about the impact Inkubator had on her development as a freelance facilitator.

Find out more