New film studios, a new arena, support for small venues and a festivals programme drive North East Mayor’s record £104m investment in the region’s creative talents

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness today unveiled a £104m package to turbocharge the region’s creative industries driving new jobs and opportunities for local people.

At the heart of the Mayor’s vision is £38.5m to build and open what is set to be one of the North of England’s largest film studios by the end of next year. Construction of Crown Works Phase 1 in Sunderland will start this summer.

A further £24m will be invested to ready Gateshead Quays for a new 12,500-15,000 seat arena to rival venues such as Manchester, Glasgow and London, as well as the creation of a new open-air performance space and urban park.

And Mayor Kim has committed to spend millions more to back small venues across North East England, fund a diverse programme of festivals, events and sporting programmes, and provide financial support for local people to build their creative careers and businesses.

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 package of investments is set to be considered by the North East Combined Authority Cabinet next week. The meeting will hear that the creative industries is among the fastest growing sectors in the UK, with the North East outperforming all other English regions in recent years*.

Construction of Phase 1 of Crown Works is set to begin in July with the Mayor providing a total package of more than £38m, including £11m recyclable funding, operational revenue support of £500k per year for five years and reconfirmation of £25m Trailblazer Devolution Deal funding first offered by the Government in 2024.

Crown Works Studio would be one of the largest in the North when it opens at the end of 2027, totalling 125,000 sq ft of flexible studio space across a new Studio One space alongside the transformation of the existing Doxford Printworks building.

The investment by Mayor Kim is expected to act as a catalyst for private sector backing and future development of the site beside the River Wear to feed the North East’s fast growing film and TV production market.

The Cabinet is also set to approve £24m to start infrastructure building works for a new arena at Gateshead Quays on the banks of the Tyne, a site where development has been stalled since the pandemic.

The on-site works will create a stand-alone platform for a new arena, a new performance square next to The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and a green linear park connecting the riverside to Baltic Quarter.

The investment marks the first major scheme since the Newcastle-Gateshead Mayoral Development Zone was created last year, and paves the way for a modern arena of between 12,500 and 15,000 seats capable of attracting global music acts.

The whole £104m package also includes a £42m North East Culture, Creative Industries and Sport framework, backed by £25m from the Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement, to develop grassroots talent, improve small venues, and boost access and participation across the region.

The North East Culture, Creative Industries and Sport framework will be shaped by industry stakeholders to map the investment needed to sustainably grow the creative sector.