Making the most of your creativity
We support creative practitioners who wish to explore how to commercialise their work by starting or growing businesses. The work we encounter covers a huge range of creative expressions in fine art, design, craft-making, performance and music – nothing legal is off limits!
Over the last 5 years we have worked with over 700 creative practitioners working across the region and supported the establishment of over 100 new creative businesses. Here in the North East, the creative and cultural sector has grown at more than double the rate of the economy as a whole and opportunities to sell locally and globally are only going to increase.
The nature of the support we offer changes depending on the funding available but typically will include a selection of workshops, events, artist talks, creative retreats, mentoring and coaching. We also create commission and retail sales opportunities for artists, often through relationships with major tourism and heritage venues: for example, we have previously worked with the likes of Baltic, Sage Gateshead, Newcastle City Library, the National Glass Centre and Hadrian’s Wall, and we are currently collaborating on programmes with County Durham Visual Arts Officer, Durham University and Bowes Museum to develop commercial opportunities for artists.
Take a look at our What’s On page to find out how we can support you. It might just make a significant difference, as one client found following our 5th Size Book Adventure delivered with Newcastle City Library:
Hi Jane
I am approaching a significant birthday and I was up a ladder up a tree helping Steve by sewing the zip shut on his inflatable light installation, in the freezing cold outside the Bowes Museum and I thought….I’m having the best time doing all sorts of things that I never imagined and life is really opening out and becoming more interesting. It feels good to be approaching this birthday, I’m excited about the next decade and a good portion of it is down to the 5th Sized Book Adventure……it certainly was an adventure and continues to be one. Thoroughly enjoying myself!
