Skip to content

Mayor steps in with arena and film studio funds

Evie LakeNorth East and Cumbria
News imageNECA An aerial photo of the Crown Works site which is next to the River Wear. The land on the left of the river has been flattened and is a sand colour. There are a number of vehicles on the land towards the back. The white Northern Spire bridge goes across the river beyond the Crown Works site. On the other side of the river there are warehouses and houses in the distance. The sky above is cloudy.NECA
Construction of Sunderland's Crown Works studios will begin in July, if the investment is approved

Multimillion-pound public funding has been proposed to kickstart stalled plans for an events arena and a new film studio.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness announced a £104m package for the Crown Works studios in Sunderland and the Gateshead Quays arena, as well as help for grassroots venues and festivals.

Construction of the arena on land between the Glasshouse and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art was originally due to begin in autumn 2023, while the proposed film studio on the banks of the River Wear has faced setbacks including one of its investors pulling out.

The investment is set to be considered by the North East Combined Authority (NECA) cabinet next week.

The Labour mayor said she will invest £38.5m to build and open the Crown Works film studios by the end of 2027, with the first phase of construction due to begin in July.

One of the original backers Fulwell Entertainment remains involved in the project as a "supportive partner", NECA said, but the company confirmed it was no longer involved in delivering the project.

Fulwell executive producer Leo Pearman said: "As the project moves into its delivery phase, responsibility now sits with Sunderland City Council and the North East Combined Authority.

"While Fulwell is not operationally involved, we remain committed to bringing production to the North East."

News imageNECA An aerial photo of the Gateshead Quays site which is between the silver, curved Glasshouse building and the brick Baltic building on the edge of the River Tyne. It looks like a building site and is covered in dirt. There are a group of modern apartment blocks behind the Baltic, with office buildings set further back. The white, curved Millennium Bridge goes across the river in front of the arena site.NECA
Construction was due to begin on the new Gateshead arena in 2023

A further £24m is proposed for infrastructure building works to start on Gateshead Quays in preparation for a new 12,500-15,000 seat arena, alongside the proposed creation of a new open-air performance space and and urban park.

Plans for the arena had stalled due to the pandemic and spiralling costs.

In January 2023, it was revealed the estimated cost of the development had jumped from £260m to more than £350m.

Specific details of where the remaining funds in the proposed £104m package will be spent have yet to be revealed.

Labour leader of Gateshead Council Martin Gannon said: "Residents have waited a long time to see momentum and this funding means that works will turn ambition into visible, tangible progress."

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.

"If you have a creative dream, you don't need London to succeed. We'll prove that."

Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links