World cultural leaders meet in north east England

By David Browne
LONDON (eTurboNews) — Cultural leaders from around the globe will head to NewcastleGateshead in north east England this summer for the World Summit on Arts and Culture. The summit held between June 14-18 at The Sage Gateshead, Norman Fosters' stunning new music and conference centre on the banks of the River Tyne is expected to attract an international audience of about 500 cultural leaders, policy makers and regeneration leaders. Bookings have already started with delegates registering from countries as far a field as the Seychelles, Botswana, Trinidad, Guyana and Australia.

Hosted by Arts Council England, in partnership with the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) it is the first time that the Summit will take place in Europe, making the event a coup for NewcastleGateshead. The World Summit 2006 follows the previous Arts and Culture Summits in Singapore in 2003 and Canada in 2000 and provides an opportunity to share global best practice and to discuss the issues affecting cultural regeneration.

With speakers from 20 countries and delegates from over 50 countries, delegates will discuss how arts and culture are powerful tools for regeneration and urban rebirth.

The theme of the summit is "Transforming places, transforming lives" and will focus on the role of regeneration through arts and culture giving inspirational examples of how places and people's lives have been transformed through arts and culture.

This theme of transformation has particular resonance for the destination hosting the summit. NewcastleGateshead has undergone a wholesale rebirth in recent years, following the decline of heavy industry and shipbuilding in the region. Any visitor to the destination today would find it barely recognizable from as little as 15 years ago.

NewcastleGateshead is situated between York and Edinburgh on the northeast coast of England. It is located in an area with a rich heritage of castles, cathedrals, Roman settlements and a stunning coastline. It is the location of the most significant program of cultural regeneration in the UK and has had over £200 million invested in cultural facilities.

Recent years have seen the arrival of the world-famous Angel of the North sculpture which has been embraced as an iconic symbol for North East England, the multi-award winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the Sage Gateshead and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts – which have all played an integral role in transforming the banks of the River Tyne into a striking, contemporary backdrop to rival any riverfront in Europe.

The Sage Gateshead will be the main summit venue. This £70 million centre for music and music education has three auditoria and a music education centre. It is home to the Northern Sinfonia Chamber orchestra and is a major centre for world music.

The Baltic is a converted flourmill, which now houses five floors of visual arts exhibition space with dramatic riverside and rooftop restaurants. Situated on the bank of the Tyne and joined to Newcastle by the award winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge the centre attracts over 500,000 visitors a year.

"Word of mouth is traveling fast around the world and everyone wants to see what has happened in cultural regeneration in NewcastleGateshead," said Andrew Dixon, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative which operates the area's convention bureau. "There has also been a growth in new hotels with over 1,400 additional rooms in the last two years."

As a direct result of the creation of these and other cultural venues and initiatives in NewcastleGateshead in recent years the destination is now more likely to be regarded as a place of increasing international cultural significance as it is a place of industrial importance harking back to a rich heritage steeped in shipbuilding, mining and manufacturing.

"NewcastleGateshead is the ideal location for the world's cultural leaders to meet and to share best practice in regeneration. The city is a shining example of what creativity, imagination and innovation can do," said Tessa Jowell, secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who is supporting the summit.

(US$1=0.57 UK pounds)

February 24, 2006   Posted in: England