Great Exhibition of the North

I think this is an interesting story. Melvyn Bragg’s recent radio series about the identity of the north indicated the importance of its rural credentials and I hope the rural parts of the north get a role in this. At least by extending the focus of the exhibition to Gateshead the successful bid will encompass some rural parts of that authority as a minimum. This story tells us:

Newcastle and Gateshead have been chosen to host the Great Exhibition of the North, a huge exhibition showcasing art, design and innovation in the north of England.

The £5m, two-month exhibition will be staged in the summer of 2018. Plans were first announced by the then chancellor, George Osborne, last November as part of his “northern powerhouse” initiative.

The Newcastle area was chosen from a shortlist of four – which included Sheffield, Bradford and Blackpool – to host the event, inspired by the 1851 Great Exhibition, which sought to showcase the best of technology and culture from Britain and its empire.

The government is contributing £5m towards the exhibition and a further £15m into a legacy fund, which will be open to cultural organisations across the north.

Announcing the winner, the culture secretary, Karen Bradley, said the exhibition would “showcase the dynamic arts, cultural and design scenes in the city and across the whole of the north”.

She said: “It’s so important that, regardless of where you’re from in the country, everyone is able to enjoy and access great culture. This cultural investment will bring enormous benefits to the region, including regeneration, increased tourism and cultural engagement.”