A group of experienced North East communications and creative freelancers have joined forces to launch a new collective aimed at offering organisations access to specialist expertise without using a traditional agency.
The newly formed NE Comms Collective brings together David Brookbanks (Ludlow Street), Becky Madeley, Emma Pybus, Ben Miners (Ben & Viv), Jade Gillham and Simon Canaway (Supanaught), combining expertise across communications, marketing, digital, creative and design.
The partnership has been created to provide organisations across the public, private and third sectors with a full-service communications offer through a network of independent specialists.
The move follows growing discussion around the changing nature of freelance work, after Prolific North’s recent Focus Week explored how many TV and production freelancers are adapting through collaboration and diversification.
David Brookbanks, founding partner of NE Comms Collective, said: “As freelance practitioners, we all have a flexible, adaptable and collaborative approach to working. We also have decades of experience and provide the kind of senior counsel organisations really benefit from. NE Comms Collective is about bringing those skills together so clients benefit from the full-service communications you’d expect from a traditional agency, but with the in-depth knowledge, strategic delivery, and senior experience of freelance practitioners.
“Freelancers can often be overlooked for bigger contracts as there’s an assumption we won’t have the resources or capacity to deliver all the elements. In fact, freelance practitioners offer one of the most flexible approaches to contract delivery as we can scale our operations through partnership and collaboration. NE Comms Collective formalises that process and allows clients to see the rich pool of freelance talent they can have access to.”
The six partners have collaborated on projects for more than a decade while running their own businesses, with experience spanning in-house communications teams, consultancies and independent practice.
Brookbanks founded communications consultancy Ludlow Street in 2014 and has worked with clients including the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music.
Emma Pybus has run her freelance communications business since 2011 following an 11-year career at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, while Becky Madeley launched her freelance marketing consultancy in 2018 after senior roles at Berghaus and NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
The collective also includes Ben Miners, who leads creative partnership Ben & Viv, PPC and LinkedIn Ads specialist Jade Gillham, founder of the North East Freelance Network, and Supanaught founder Simon Canaway, whose studio specialises in brand, print and digital design.
Brookbanks added: “Individually, we’ve each had a hugely positive impact on the clients we’ve worked with, whether that’s creating and implementing a brand identity, devising and delivering strategic communications campaigns, or creating content across a range of different platforms.
“Through NE Comms Collective we can combine our talents and help organisations working in any sector to effectively communicate with their audiences. Our approach is always about providing practical, targeted and achievable solutions that deliver against campaign objectives.”
The collective’s combined offer covers PR, media and content creator relations, marketing strategy, campaign planning and delivery, stakeholder engagement, web content, SEO, design and creative services.
