Funding boost for arts in the North East

Feb 9 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal

Ray Spencer, executive director of the Customs House, said the money would be spent on three things.

It would enable the venue to produce a new play by Valerie Laws about local hero John Simpson Kirkpatrick, the “man with the donkey”, who rescued hundreds of wounded Australian and New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli during the First World War. “The big idea is to take it out to Australia to coincide with their Gallipoli celebration,” said Mr Spencer.

Some of the money would be spent on staging a contemporary production of Romeo and Juliet in South Shields as part of the Customs House Bard in the Park presentation.

The rest would be spent on leasing a shop in the town centre to act as a box office and to offer for sale the work of artists exhibiting at the Customs House.

“The big issue for us, being at Mill Dam, is that we have no footfall, the spontaneous ‘let’s buy a ticket’ from passers-by.

“We have felt a squeeze on the corporate side of things but we are trying to generate income in other ways.”

Just over £41m has now been invested nationally through Sustain.

Arts Council chief executive Alan Davey said: “Sustain has been crucial in helping over 130 arts organisations weather the effects of the recession.”

Meanwhile, more than 100 people involved in the production of films, television, video games, music and interactive media attended the launch of the £2.4m Creative Fund at the Newcastle offices of Northern Film & Media (NFM).

NFM has teamed up with venture capital firm NorthStar Equity Investors who will manage the money from regional development agency One North East and build on it by attracting money from the private sector.

Tom Harvey, chief executive of NFM, told his audience: “There’s really not a better time to be here.”

He said that in a very competitive market, successful media companies would have to establish themselves globally rather than regionally and the conditions were now right for allowing that to happen.

Mr Harvey estimated 20% of all venture capital deals in the country could be done in the North East over the next five years.

“It means the best companies and the best people and the best ideas will get funded,” he said.

Marion Bernard, chief executive of NorthStar, said: “We want to meet as many ambitious people as possible. If we think your idea is commercially credible we’ll help you to reach your goals.

“We are looking to close 18 deals in the next two years.”

These could be worth from £100,000 to £2m, she said.