North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has announced a landmark £104 million investment package to accelerate the region’s creative industries, backing thousands of new jobs, boosting cultural infrastructure and opening up new opportunities for local people.
The package – set to be considered by the North East Combined Authority Cabinet next week – will support large‑scale regeneration projects as well as grassroots venues, festivals, sports programmes and career pathways across the region.
At the heart of the announcement is £38.5 million to build and launch one of the North of England’s largest film studios. Construction of the first phase of Crown Works will begin in July, with the studio opening in 2027. This will bring the delivery of 125,000 sq ft of flexible production space and includes £11m in recyclable funding, £500k per year in operational revenue support (for five years), and £25m from the 2024 Trailblazer Devolution Deal.
The development – transforming the historic Doxford Printworks – is expected to attract major private‑sector investment and strengthen the region’s fast‑growing film and TV production sector.
A further £24 million will unlock long‑stalled plans for a new 12,500–15,000‑seat arena at Gateshead Quays, alongside a new open‑air performance space, a green linear park linking the riverside to the Baltic Quarter, and a new performance square beside The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
This marks the first major scheme delivered through the Newcastle–Gateshead Mayoral Development Zone, created in 2025.
The Mayor also committed £42 million to a new regional framework to:
- Support small venues
- Fund festivals and community cultural events
- Grow grassroots talent
- Improve access and participation in arts, culture and sport
- Provide financial and professional support for local creative entrepreneurs
The framework includes £25 million from the Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement and will be co-designed with industry stakeholders.
The North East is already outperforming all other English regions in creative industries growth. The Mayor’s £104m package aims to accelerate that trajectory by:
- Attracting major productions to the region
- Creating stable, high‑value creative jobs
- Unlocking long‑term private investment
- Building modern cultural infrastructure fit for a global market
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“We've heard leading voices from Sam Fender to Jade talk about their pride in their north east roots and the huge barriers working class young people from the north face when trying to make it in music and film.
"I said in my manifesto I'd change that, and here's the next big step - £104m backing both the inspirational big venues to the vital local space need for your first gig. Last week we announced the skills funding to help you learn on the job, this week we're backing more venues.
"If you have a creative dream, you don't need London to succeed. We'll prove that."
The new film studios and arena are seen as anchors for wider regeneration:
- The Crown Works site sits on the River Wear – an area with major development potential.
- Gateshead Quays will help reactivate a key cultural and commercial corridor.
Together, these projects will support the region’s wider economic growth strategy and strengthen its identity as a creative and cultural powerhouse.
Image credit: iStock
