NEWS: Newcastle Gateshead launches bid to become a Music City

Image: Wendy Smith of The Glasshouse and Mick Ross of Generator

Music development agency Generator and powerhouse music venue The Glasshouse have joined forces to spearhead an initiative which it’s hoped will bring investment in the region’s music scene.

The initiative will set up a strategy of collaboration with other organisations in the North East to enable growth and support the music ecosystem, with the aim of boosting jobs, enhancing skills provision and driving investment.

Generator CEO, Mick Ross said: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the region on the global map for music and the creative industries. Newcastle Gateshead has the perfect ecosystem of development organisations like Generator, existing and future venues, educational facilities and industry investment, and crucially, a cultural environment and population that wholly embraces the creative sector and the economic opportunities it presents for everybody.

“Adding the collective civic and political willingness to make such ambitious plans come to fruition, now is the time for all those component parts to come together and to make Music City happen.”

Wendy Smith, Creative Director of The Glasshouse International Centre for Music said: “Newcastle Gateshead Music City will build an even stronger music community, helping us to understand the assets and the gaps so that together we can build an even better and more resilient music ecosystem in the city and wider region.

“Growing music here will create jobs, increase people’s skills, and make sure every child or young person can get involved with music, as learners, creators and audiences. We want to see children from all backgrounds and life circumstances learning music now to be the artists on our stages in the future. This Music City will be for everyone, impacting people of all ages and from all walks of life in our region.”

Earlier this year saw the launch of Sunderland Music City and Sonic Futures in the Tees Valley; it’s hoped that with the addition of Newcastle Gateshead Music City, a region-wide music strategy for the North East will position the region as a national music powerhouse.