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A Durham University-based business development scheme is calling for applications from aspiring creative entrepreneurs.

Creative GLEAM (Graduate Learning of Entrepreneurship Accelerated through Mentoring) is an internationally acclaimed business start-up programme which was established in 1998 at Durham. Following the success of the recently completed programme, the team has announced that the next one will start in January 2009.

Sponsored by One NorthEast and Newcastle City Council, it has places for 18 aspiring North East-based creative graduates. GLEAM teaches the practice of business to owner/managers through workshops that take a pragmatic and practical approach, enhanced by one to one mentoring. It’s dedicated to helping these fledgling businesses build the networks and knowledge they need to survive and thrive. It offers an opportunity to underpin creative talent with guidance in developing entrepreneurial skills and managerial competencies and a chance to interact with and learn the language of business from mentors who have themselves turned their creative skills into successful enterprises.

The recruitment process has already begun and applications are invited from:

• Visual artists –painters, sculptors, print makers…

• Crafts people – stone masons, ceramicists, blacksmiths, glass artists

• Designers- product, graphic, interior, textile, fashion, web

Read more! »

Middlesbrough-based Gore Cartoons is seeking local acting talent for its next film Question of Faith.

The independent production company led by maverick director Joseph Tan has been behind over 70 productions in the last few years and has built up an international following. Features, short films, music videos and documentries have all been given the Gore treatment – a lot of which can be seen on the website and on Youtube.

Question of Faith is a departure from Gore’s usual ‘tongue firmly in cheek’ style and a bit more serious in terms of storyline and character development. While some of the cast and crew are already on board, the film requires two male actors between 25 and 35 – one to play a killer and the other a priest…

For further information or to apply for either of these unpaid roles, contact Joseph Tan: Bign2003@hotmail.com

The Write Room returns to Wolviston’s Wellington Inn on Tuesday 28th October.

This month the popular poetry event will take on a Halloween theme, with some of the region’s top writers performing poems about ghosts and scary things.

The Write Room takes place upstairs in the Wellington Inn from 7.45pm – 10.30pm on Tuesday 28th October.
Tickets are priced just £3.00 and are available on the door.

For further information contact Pete Nolan: pete.nolan@ntlworld.com

Stockton is hosting its first ever festival of short film this month.

Sponsored by Northern Film & Media and the Institute of Digital Innovation, Clip is set to take place at the Georgian Theatre from next Friday 17th – Sunday 19th October.

This three day event of cinema, workshops and professional talks not only celebrates the genre of short film but also aims to encourage anyone who has ever wanted to make a film to have a go.

It kicks off on Friday night with a programme of regional films from the likes of Tom Marshall and Garry Moore. On Saturday the focus is on films made in the UK, with some great international shorts wrapping up the festival on the Sunday.

In between the film showcases there’s a programme of four 90 minute workshops and talks that will inspire anyone wanting to make their own film. On Saturday 18th, award-winning scriptwriter Ian Fenton will be delivering a scriptwriting master class, while a lecturer from Stockton Riverside College will be providing a session on film make-up. Matt Rozdoba is doing a basic camera workshop on Sunday 19th, while producer Samm Haillay (Better Things) will do a seminar on film production.

Both Ian Fenton and Samm Haillay are doing free talks on scriptwriting and production on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th respectively, making for a real mix of entertainment and skills development throughout the weekend.

Festival organiser Gari Sullivan said:”The festival is an opportunity to see some of the greatest short films from around the corner, around the country and around the world. Whether you’re a professional or an ‘am-cam’ enthusiastic amateur, CLIP festival is for you.”

Tickets to the screenings are priced £2.50 per night, while the workshops are £3.00 per session.

For further information on Clip or to purchase tickets, visit the website
Tickets can also be purchased directly from the Georgian Theatre Box Office.

In the next instalment of the University of Teesside’s Public Lecture Series, award-winning writer Anne Fine OBE talks about writing for adults and children.

Anne’s held the Carnegie Medal and the Publishing News Children’s Author of the Year among her many accolades. Her best known work is perhaps her 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire which was adapted for the big screen as Mrs Doubtfire starring Robin Williams. Later her book Goggle-Eyes, was adapted for BBC Children’s television. A celebrated writer of adult and children’s books, Anne’s work has been translated into over forty languages.

In her lecture at the University next month, she will talk about writing for these two very different audiences, and several of the issues raised by producing literature for young readers.

The free to attend event which takes place on Wednesday 12th November from 6.30pm – 7.45pm, is open to the public. For further information or to book your place, click here

A Teesside-based project aimed at helping creative entrepreneurs from all over the North East has been hailed a major success.

Creating a Business Buzz, which was delivered as part of the DigitalCity project at the University of Teesside, has helped over 100 creative SMEs to grow their businesses in the last 12 months.

This was the first time Business Buzz had been delivered by the Institute of Digital Innovation and was made possible thanks to £450,000 worth of funding from the ERDF and University of Teesside.

Thanks to the success of Business Buzz, which concluded at the end of September, talks are now underway about similar future projects.

Creative businesses and entrepreneurs from across the North East took part in individual mentoring sessions and workshops as part of Business Buzz to help them understand more about subjects such as marketing, sales, public relations and business finance.

Some of the people helped by the project include Peterlee-based photographer Paul Berry, Middlesbrough fine artist Hannah Campion, video games company Halch and songwriting and music production team BB Music House from Newcastle.

Read more! »

As part of Design Event 08, Northern Architecture is organising a tour which looks at the recent and historical design decisions that have shaped the city of Newcastle.

The Urban Translation Newcastle tour will be led by Tim Bailey of xsite Architecture and is taking place on Saturday 18th October from 2.00pm – 4.00pm, starting at Newcastle Civic Centre.

The event is free to attend but places are limited and booking is essential.
For more information or to book your place, contact Northern Architecture on: 0191 260 2191 or visit the website

The sixth Northern Lights Film Festival runs from the 30th November – 6th December. Focussing on breakthrough talent, it’s currently calling for feature film treatments by screenwriters to compete for this year’s Script Development Award.

Previously the UK’s only film festival dedicated to screening work from Northern Europe, NLFF has expanded its remit to take in the entire world. Programmers from around the globe have been employed to scout for the hottest new filmmakers, and to bring the most exciting features back to premiere in the North East.

As part of this, NLFF is now searching for the most original feature film ideas from the best new screenwriting talent in the UK. The development package on offer is a chance to work with a professional UK-based script consultant to develop the writer’s original treatment into a feature length screenplay.

The script will be sent to a professional distributor and national exhibitor for comment, before being submitted to North East based production companies for consideration.

While the package does not include a fee for the writer/s time, it does offer limited funds to cover travel and accommodation costs incurred during the consultation period.

Original ideas will be accepted for fiction feature films in any genre. Applicants must be based in the UK and not previously had a feature film produced. They will have professional writing credits in short film, television, theatre, or advertising however – and evidence of these credits is required.

Writers must be able to demonstrate through a writing sample that they have the potential to deliver a feature length screenplay of the highest level and able to commit to a 12 month writing programme.

For further information and submission details, click here

Deadline for delivery of stage one: 12pm, Friday 24th October 2008

Tees Valley Arts is celebrating after being awarded a grant from The Ernest Cook Trust to support its work in environmental arts.

Using a variety of different artforms, TVA works with schools and environmental organisations to increase awareness and understanding of environmental issues and to enhance the use of local green spaces. The £10,000 grant will help fund the arts development agency’s Heritage and Environment programme.

The Heritage and Environment Programme has developed a range of environmental learning sessions that introduce and explore key issues surrounding climate change and the environment through fun, interactive and creative art forms. These sessions are aimed at key stages 1 to 4 and are open to all Tees Valley schools.

Topics include trees and deforestation, habitats and minibeasts, the carbon footprints of food and transport, biodiversity, recycling, and renewable energy. The workshops provide an engaging means for learners to explore issues related to Sustainable Schools and Eco-schools.

For further information about Tees Valley Arts and the Heritage and Environment Programme please contact Environment Officer Joe Dunne on: 01642 264 651 or Email: joe.dunne@teesvalleyarts.org.uk

Leaders from some of the North East’s top creative businesses are speaking at this month’s Think and a Drink event in Middlesbrough.

Taking place at the Thistle Hotel, the Codeworks event will look at full service and specialised creative agencies in the region, tackling the following topics:

• Do you need to become a full-service agency in order to continue growing?
• Do you need to be based in Newcastle to be successful in the North East?
• How do you decide what value to put on your ideas and IP?

Directors from full service and specialised agencies will discuss how their businesses operate and what successes and failures they have experienced. They will also talk about their plans for the future.

Read more! »

Regional development agency One Northeast recently commissioned a study to help creative businesses in the region grow and prosper.

Businesses are now invited to participate in a follow-up survey that seeks to learn more about the skills issues highlighted in the original study.

If you’re running a creative business of your own, your input into the survey will be an invaluable and important source of information. This questionnaire will take ten minutes to complete and could help One Northeast design appropriate skills training programmes for you and your company.