National writing centre may open to public in 2028
GoogleA national writing centre may open to the public in 2028, council papers have revealed.
Last year, the charity New Writing North announced plans for the centre at Bolbec Hall in Westgate Road, Newcastle, and said it would support community writing and reading initiatives.
A Newcastle City Council document has now revealed the preferred location is the nearby Old Post Office building on St Nicholas Street, and it is hoped the facility will be open two years' time.
It also said Northumbria University had already confirmed in principle about £2.5m to help fund the scheme.
The team behind the project are also seeking £5m from the government's Cultural Development Fund, £1m from Newcastle City Council and £2m from the North East Combined Authority (NECA).
Local authority officials said the preferred site of the centre had changed due to its larger size and the higher quality of its existing fit-out.
This should result in a lower overall cost for the project, according to the council report, though it did not reveal how much cheaper the scheme could now be.
New Writing North previously said the centre would cost £14m.
The document was produced for Newcastle City Council's cabinet to detail the funding the centre requires from the local authority.
Councillors are expected to make a decision over the funding on 12 January.
Claire Malcolm, the charity's CEO, previously said the investment would "help train and develop a new generation of local talent".
"I want young people here to be able to grow up to be publishers, writers and creatives without presuming they need to leave the North East to achieve their ambition," she added.
