Great Exhibition budget increased by £3million
ORGANISERS SECURE PLENTY OF EXTRA SPONSORSHIP
THE budget for the Great Exhibition of the North will be £3m more than originally planned, it has been revealed.
Organisers of the 80-day festival have secured £8m of funding to add to the £5m provided by the government, taking the overall exhibition budget to £13m.
That is despite weapons manufacturer BAE Systems pulling out as one of the event’s sponsors following an outcry from artists who were unhappy with the firm’s involvement.
Originally, the onus had been on the Newcastle-Gateshead Initiative (NGI), which is organising the cultural event, to match the £5m allocated to the exhibition from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Coun Kim McGuinness, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for culture and community, said: “The Great Exhibition of the North will be the biggest event in England this year.
“It will celebrate all that is northern and the bright, exciting future we can expect for the north.
“We’re incredibly excited to host. It’s fantastic that Newcastle will take centre stage as an example of a great northern city.
“Planning is well under way now and the programme looks amazing.
“It’s great that businesses and the wider cultural sector have really got behind this and provided the sponsorship and funding needed to really make this event something special.
“We can’t wait to welcome so many visitors to Newcastle and Gateshead to the exhibition and for residents to get to show off their city.
“For us, legacy is key, we’re working to make sure the exhibition and the investment and positivity it brings lasts more than just this summer.”
The festival is expected to reach an audience of three million people, with up to 600,000 additional overnight visitors, and to bring in up to £56million to the area’s economy. Funding for the festival includes business sponsorship of around £1 million together with European Regional Development Fund, Arts Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Visit England and Equalities Commission funding and additional government grant money. The festival opens on June 22 and will include the return of Stephenson’s Rocket to Discovery Museum, a weeklong feast of northern music at Sage Gateshead, and a summit to showcase Northern business innovation. There will also be three walking trails showcasing arts, innovation and design and a range of exhibitions at the Great North Museum: Hancock, the Sage and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. When BAE withdrew its support for the exhibition in March, Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry lambasted the “subsidy addicted artists” who had threatened to withdraw.
It’s great that businesses and the wider cultural sector have really got behind this Coun Kim McGuinness