Â鶹´«Ã½ gets creative with local businesses Published on: 26 February 2016 The region’s creative businesses are set to receive a boost thanks to a new project led by Â鶹´«Ã½. Creative Working Creativity Works, which involves all five North East universities - Â鶹´«Ã½, Northumbria, Durham, Sunderland and Teesside - will help firms grow through research and innovation has announced more than £271k funding for the project through its Creative Local Growth Fund. It supports arts and cultural organisations working with (LEPs) and key strategic bodies to contribute to local economic growth. The investment is designed to lever more money in European funding so that the scheme can be extended even further. It will allow the universities to use the research they are carrying out as part of the £3m project to help a much wider number of creative businesses. The Fuse project, which will launch in April, explores how the Creative, Digital and IT (CDIT) sector in the North East can be developed in order to play a leading role in the region’s economy. Professor Eric Cross Substantial growth Professor Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs at Â鶹´«Ã½ and who is leading the project, said: “The creative and cultural sector is one of the only areas to have seen substantial growth since the recession, so it’s important that we are able to support it and use the universities’ knowledge, links and expertise to help these firms grow. “A lot of these businesses can be small, often with just one person involved, and this means they haven’t got time to think about ways they can grow their business. That’s where we can step in and help them. I’m delighted that the Arts Council has announced this funding so we can look at new ways to support this important area of innovation.” The Arts Council money will allow the university consortium to work with partners all over the region, including the Â鶹´«Ã½ Gateshead Cultural Venues, who are a named partner in the project, and with rural businesses. Helen Golightly, the North East LEP's Chief Operating Officer said: "The arts and creative sector is an important part of the North East economy, and it's fantastic news that Â鶹´«Ã½ has been successful in its bid for support from the Creative Local Growth Fund. The Creativity Works programme will help to develop arts-based business' capabilities to win new business, create more and better jobs and boost the sector's growth in the North East." Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at Â鶹´«Ã½ warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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