Proposed Northern Writers' Centre suffers unhappy ending

Jun 5 2009 by David Whetstone, The Journal

PLANS for a purpose-built literary centre have been shelved because of the economic climate.

The joint initiative between Arts Council-funded literature development agency New Writing North and the School of English at Newcastle University was made public in September 2007.

The proposed Northern Writers’ Centre was described as “a bespoke building for writers and writing activity” and was to include a performance space for live literature events and studios for writers.

It was to have formed part of Newcastle University’s Cultural Quarter, home to Northern Stage, the Hatton Gallery, Culture Lab and the new Great North Museum.

Claire Malcolm, director of New Writing North, and Prof Linda Anderson of the university’s School of English, had said they believed it to be the first project of its kind in the country.

“We are now moving beyond the design stage towards making the Centre a reality,” they stated in a letter to supporters. “Although more than half of the cost of the £5.2m development is being met by the university, we still have to raise £2m over the next 18 months if we are to open in 2010.”

That target was never met. Claire Malcolm said this week that the launch took place at the worst possible time, just before Northern Rock’s problems became apparent.

“The money from the university was there to be released should we obtain matched funding,” said Ms Malcolm.

“But European funding had dried up, as had Arts Council capital funding. Trusts and foundations were all feeling the brunt of the economic meltdown.”

They had been in the process of applying to the Northern Rock Foundation for funding when its parent bank hit the buffers.

Ms Malcolm said: “I’m sure they would have given us something and that would have kicked off our campaign because other money would have followed.”

She had sensed some resistance to the project by funders who had already invested in recent capital projects in Newcastle such as Seven Stories and Live Theatre.

“We were at the wrong end of a long list of developments,” she suggested.

Ms Malcolm said a decision was taken in February by the New Writing North board that the new building plan was no longer viable.

The university had offered alternative existing premises on campus but none had proved suitable.

New Writing North, which has a staff of four, moved out of the university’s Culture Lab, where it was a tenant, and is now located in the Holy Jesus Hospital, the historic city centre building owned by the National Trust, Northumbria University and Newcastle City Council.

Ms Malcolm said New Writing North would now focus on its role of supporting regional writers while the university pursued its own programme of events, often featuring international writers.

Prof Anderson said that while the capital project had been dissolved, the university had established a new facility, the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts, which wasn’t dependent on a physical space.

It had great staff, including celebrated poets Bill Herbert, Jackie Kay and Sean O’Brien, and an autumn programme including visits by Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney and new poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

She said: “We’re very optimistic about the future and the kind of contribution we’ll be able to make to the region. We’ll still be working with New Writing North occasionally on specific projects.”

On a positive note, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation has just awarded the agency £150,000 over three years to develop its work with North East writers and readers. It is the first time the funding body has included New Writing North among its beneficiaries.

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