Our Writing and Publishing Skills Hub in numbers
2025 saw the culmination of three years of activity as part of the Writing and Publishing Skills Hub, funded by The North East Combined Authority.
This programme has given hundreds of people in the North East new skills and insights, increasing confidence, and employability. It has strengthened the knowledge and networks of regional freelancers, put cash in pockets of artists, and increased the volume and quality of industry events, all of which helps to grow the profile, scale and impact of the creative industries in the region.
Over the last year, the programme has supported:
New and emerging writers
63 residents of Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland attended a Start Writing six-week creative writing workshop in a local library.
130 delegates attended the Newcastle Writing Conference. 97% of attendees said they learnt something new having attended the event.
53 people completed New Writing North Academy courses, tallying 1,912 hours of online learning.
17 writers took part in The Writers’ Space where they had access to online seminars with industry experts and writer development sessions.
Professional writers
3 writers were selected for the Significant Ink development programme for writers from the Global Majority. They received £1000, tailored mentoring peer support sessions.
6 authors were part of North East Novelists development group supporting them to continue to hone their craft.
4 writers and creatives were made Creative Associates which meant they received £5,000, mentoring and support.
4 writers completed Inkubator training to develop their facilitation skills. This included 36 hours of support, and a £1,050 bursary.
Screenwriters
150 aspiring and emerging screenwriters attended the inaugural Screenwriting Weekender at Live Theatre in Newcastle.
3 screenwriters were selected to be part of Genre Feature Lab pairing writers with North East production companies.
Freelancers
10 early-career writers and creatives were made Emerging Creative Associates which meant they received £1,500 and mentoring and support.
Young people and creative careers
56 young people aged under 18 years, interested in creative writing, took part in weekly Young Writers’ Groups.
27 people aged 18-25 years, interested in creative writing, took part in the First Edition group.
51 secondary school students attended a Careers in Publishing Insight Day, held in partnership with Hachette UK and Northumbria University.
17 aspiring publishers attended 5-day paid work placement with a range of publishers, literary bookshops.
6 primary and 6 secondary school teachers took part in a Creative Writing for Teachers programme to give educational leaders the confidence to teach.