A Working Men’s Club in North Tyneside, which has become famous for electronic music pop-ups, will now be able to develop into a full scale Live Music venue as one of 11 North East projects earmarked for over £360,000 of Mayoral funding.
North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness said: “I’m developing a thriving creative economy in the North East, and with this funding, we’re fuelling our energetic creatives, and giving them the tools to create real impact.
“This region has it all – we’ve got amazing venues and museums, great festivals, hotels and restaurants, and a heritage to be proud of. The funding these programmes will receive will help us celebrate our culture, and put our region on the stage as the home of creativity and world class cultural events.”
The Mayor’s Events and Festivals Fund supports diverse trailblazing programmes, rooted in the region’s culture, helping event organisers develop their capacity, including building crucial skills to deliver more sustainable, and impactful events that benefit residents and visitors.
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Are You Affiliated has been awarded £39,215 to convert the King Street Social Club in North Shields (pictured) into a contemporary electronic and live music venue, diversifying operations and boosting local night life. The organisers said in a statement: ““After three years of doing things that people initially said were impossible in North Tyneside this funding will enable us to make a huge step-change in what we’re capable of achieving and allow us to fully realise the potential of our unique venue model while maximising its value to the broadest range of people and communities in the North East.
“This funding allows us to develop our infrastructure to the point where we can commit to al new consistent and ambitious Live Music programming that ranges from international headliners to developing grass roots act, underpinned with a focus on being a driving factor in the growth of our regions music scene, and establishing our region’s authentic musical identity.”
The 10 other programmes receiving funding are:
- The Tyneside Promoter Network: £33,746 to develop independent support for Tyneside artists with funding and expertise.
- Ad Gefrin: £40,000 to extend their pilot ‘Gaderung’ (gathering) of artisans, makers, bakers, chefs, creatives, musicians and storytellers.
- Cobalt Studios: £31,628 to strengthen capacity in marketing, delivery and evaluation to secure long-term resilience for one of the region’s most distinctive grassroot venues.
- Helix Arts: £29,300 to deliver Make it Happen (MIH) capacity building programme to sustain the potential for Playful Pavements events on the Meadowwell.
- Karbon Homes: £34,088 to scale-up market events into a local growth incubator that integrates food, traders, artists, and VCSE organisations into a mutually reinforcing cultural economy.
- Moving Art Management: £30,662 to provide dance-specific mentoring and arts management training to expand their events’ reach and national profile.
- Moving Parts Arts CIO: £40,000 to develop capacity ahead of MPA’s Newcastle Puppetry Festival including ‘International Puppet Festival Delegates’ programme.
- Northumberland Football Association: £23,085 to deliver a three-day Female Football Big Weekend, incorporating International Women’s Day on Sunday 8th March 2026.
- Sunderland Culture: £38,088 to strengthen their strategic volunteer programme led by Sunderland Culture in partnership with Culture House Sunderland, Foundation of Light and Sunderland BID.
- Sunderland Music, Arts & Culture Trust: £22,800 to increase marketing, fundraising and programming capacity for the annual, two-day outdoor Summer Streets Festival in Sunderland.
