The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and Creative England recently launched their Culture and Creative Investment Programme, which aims to support cultural and creative industries in Northumberland, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside.
The £2.6m fund is open to small businesses and freelancers in the region, and includes training, mentoring and business support workshops. By strengthening the creative industries in the North of Tyne area, the NTCA and Creative England say they hope to leverage their potential to help rebuild the economy, create jobs and regenerate the local area.
As part of the programme, the NTCA has published its Culture and Creative Zones Prospectus, which sets out a plan to create designated zones that will act as focal points of advice, guidance and expertise for the cultural and creative industries. Each zone will be eligible for up to £500k of funding in the first year. Zones will also play a key part in regenerating places, providing space to showcase the cultural and creative talent in the region. The full prospectus can be found on the NTCA website.
The programme is also looking for members to join its Strategic Advisory Board. Prospective applicants should be committed to the objectives of the programme, and should have experience with the cultural and creative industries or the financial sector, or both. To apply, email a short covering note and CV to northoftyne@creativeengland.co.uk by September 13th.