When Arts Council England announced details of the North East National Portfolio Organisations on Tuesday there was both relief and disappointment among the region's theatre/dance companies.
There was disappointment for Hexham-based Théâtre Sans Frontières which lost its funding entirely and for Northumberland Theatre Company (NTC) which failed to regain the NPO status it lost in the previous round. Queen’s Hall Arts (also in Hexham) had its cash grant reduced by 15.6% and Durham-based Tin Arts by 17%.
Whilst most organisations had an increase of under 1%, some did much better. Durham County Council’s grant doubled and Darlington-based children’s theatre company Hullabaloo had an increase of 20.5%.
There is one new NPO in the region. The Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI) receives £300,000 over the three years for its Juice Festival for young people.
When inflation is taken into account, almost all have suffered a decrease in real terms.
The full list of awards to NE theatre/dance organisations follows:
| Organisation | Funding over 3 years | Cash percentage increase/decrease |
| ARC Stockton | £818, 275 | + 0.4% |
| Ballet LORENT (Newcastle) | £718,717 | -2.1% |
| Customs House (South Shields) | £302,033 | +0.4% |
| Dance City (Newcastle) | £1,661,570 | +3.5% |
| Durham County Council | £1,245,00 | +100.7% |
| Great North Run Culture (Tyneside) | £302,033 | +0.4% |
| Lawnmowers (Gateshead) | £182,993 | +0.8% |
| Live Theatre (Newcastle) | £1,850,170 | +0.4% |
| New Writing North (Regional) | £831,369 | -0.5% |
| NewcastleGateshead Initiative | £300,00 | NEW |
| Northern Stage (Newcastle) | £4,687,489 | +0.4% |
| November Club (Newcastle) | £302,034 | +0.4% |
| Open Clasp Theatre Company (Newcastle) | £300,000 | -0.3% |
| Queen’s Hall Arts (Hexham) | £354,441 | -15.6% |
| The Forge (Durham) | £172,488 | -5.3% |
| The Maltings (Berwick) | £529,162 | +0.4% |
| Theatre Hullabaloo (Darlington) | £750,954 | +20.5% |
| Tin Arts (Durham) | £244,359 | -17% |
| Zendeh (Newcastle) | £302,033 | +0.4% |