The studios will consist of three sites, encompassing 1.5m square feet over 80 acres of land. It is seen as one of the most integral elements to the UK’s most ambitious city-wide regeneration projects, with praise from the North East mayor Kim McGuinness, the prime minister, and locals themselves.
Taking on such a large project that is so heavily focused on creative industries is the first step to the general attitude regarding the North East transforming; from a place where Southerners think nothing happens and that you must go to London to make it, to one that is a hub for creative sectors. McGuinness stated "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."
In a time where the job market is so uncertain, especially for those looking to go into creative careers, the studios and the project’s financial investments are like a beacon of light...
The proposed studios give back hope to young people, both from the region and those studying at North Eastern universities. In a time where the job market is so uncertain, especially for those looking to go into creative careers, the studios and the project’s financial investments are like a beacon of light in a seemingly dark professional world. The proposed project, as well as investments into creative industries, clearly will aid the economy and those locally, but they also represent more widely the growing appreciation of the North East that it rightly deserves. On top of this, it suggests further development of the region into becoming a northern epicentre for culture and creative industries, allowing residents more local opportunities.
The local area is featured as a location in so many famous films, like Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, or 28 Years Later, and yet the region doesn’t get half the recognition it deserves. Hopefully the proposed studios and investments in creative industries will allow the North East this appreciation. The local pride is one of the qualities many admire about those from the North East, and the studios will only strengthen this, through providing job opportunities locally. For northern working class people with creative aspirations, the region should not be an obstacle in chasing their dreams. The prevailing mentality for so many years was if you wanted to succeed, you went to London, but now with the proposed studios and investments, there is no need for Mackems and Geordies to leave their home turf to flourish. The studios, and everything they represent, are a game changer.
...it is just as good (if not better) up here.
As someone from the South East who chose to study at Newcastle University, it was (unfortunately) impossible to avoid the questions asking why I chose to go so far up north, rather than stay near London where there were apparently more opportunities. Most of these people had never bothered to visit the region or city, for them, Newcastle was just a stop on the train. But for me, from the first time I stepped foot here I fell in love with the place and now I don’t think I could ever leave. Personally, these new studios, as well as the mayor’s commitment of £42m to creative industries, sports events, festivals, small venues, and grassroots talent prove the richness of the area, demonstrating that the North East easily rivals London and the South. There is no need to flock southward; it is just as good (if not better) up here.
The new studios, paired with the mayor’s words, "if you have a creative dream, you don’t need London to succeed" emboldens the region, and all those within it. The North East is just as impressive as London, and while some may not yet see what locals, students, and every other individual who has chosen this truly remarkable place as their home does, the new Crown Works studios and the investments into culture and creative industries might just open their eyes.