Live Theatre has announced LiveWorks, a £10m capital development scheme on Newcastle's Quayside.
The theatre has purchased the last remaining prime Quayside plot of land and buildings alongside the theatre and plans to create new commercial office space, a new public park and a children and young people’s writing centre.
The purchase of the land and buildings and the development of the site have been supported by a prudential loan of £6m from Newcastle City Council and a £1.73m grant confirmed from the North East European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2007 to 2013.
Additional fundraising is taking place to realise a children’s and young people’s writing centre, to inspire young people through creative writing and literacy projects.
The project will incorporate:
- Refurbishment of a Grade II listed Almshouse into a new children and young people’s writing centre;
- A landscaped green space, a new pocket park at the centre of the site with public pedestrian access from the Quayside and a public and performance space managed and programmed by Live Theatre in daily use by tenants, neighbours and the public and transforming this part of the Quayside;
- An additional revenue for the core creative and education work of Live Theatre, and a social, cultural and commercial return to build resilience for Live Theatre for the future.
Live Theatre is a national leader in developing new strategies for developing income and assets for the charity. LiveWorks will join The Broad Chare pub, an online playwriting course and The Schoolhouse, which offers office space for creative and digital businesses, as one of the organisation's capital and digital creative enterprises, increasing its future income through additional new unrestricted funds.
Peter Bazalgette, chair of Arts Council England, described Live Theatre’s creative enterprises an example of "intelligent capital spending", creating additional commercial income streams enabling it to grow and sustain its work in the production of new plays, developing creative talent and learning and participation.
Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council said, "I'm really glad that the City Council has helped Live Theatre to make this exciting new project a reality. It demonstrates our continuing commitment to Newcastle's cultural scene despite the ravages of austerity and underlines our shared belief that culture creates investment and jobs, as well as a great quality of life."