009073 - ATN Creative Producer Training for NCC Events

Newcastle City Council (NCC) needs an experienced and visionary delivery partner to co-design and deliver a dynamic training programme for emerging Creative Producers. This initiative is supported and funded by Arts Council England and forms part of a wider three-year investment in the region's cultural infrastructure.

Grant to provide this training has been awarded that will train 36 Creative Producers that will work on outdoor arts events and festivals over the next 3 years.

A 3 year of 12-months training programme will support 12 early-career Creative Producers per year to develop the skills, networks, and experience needed to lead and deliver outdoor arts events and festivals. The programme will culminate in a community co-creation project, with selected trainees producing work for Novum - Newcastle's Summer Festival.

There is an urgent need for producers who can work directly with community groups to shape inclusive, high-quality cultural content for NCC's growing events programme.

The region currently faces a shortage of skilled Creative Producers - a challenge highlighted during a recent recruitment process for a Creative Programme Manager, where there were only three applicants who met the essential criteria. If we are to succeed in our ambition to engage multiple communities and reflect the diversity of Newcastle through our festivals, this training is essential.

There is an immediate need for skilled Creative Producers to work directly with community groups in shaping content for NCC's growing events programme. This training programme is essential to building that capacity and ensuring inclusive, high-quality cultural experiences across the city.

Curated Place will be the Training Provider. Previously they were awarded a contract for 4 years to plan NCC's events. Awarded via the Arts Council Grant.

The ATN (Authorise to Negotiate) is for this year's training from August 25 through to August 26. Curated Place will provide:

• Management of back end of application process
• Contracted for entirety for 1st year for course delivery (next 2 years will be awarded through NEPO Framework or an Open tender process)
• NCC promotes programme
• NCC to confirm available awards to participants prior to course start for clarity in promotion
• NCC holds and distributes participant direct spend budget (Training Licensing & Software in ACE accepted budget)
• Collaborative Selection process to ensure good fit with programme and Place Partnership stated aims
• Training programme runs September to February
• Manages back end of post course award applications
• Festival Team selects funding awardees
• Post course handover to NCC Team in March each year
• NCC Festival Team manages all aspects of participant project development deliv-ery and oversight of awardee projects, finances and reporting (New Producer Project Support & New Producer Project Support Contingency / Safety in ACE accept-ed budget)
• Project development takes place March-August - delivery (NCC)
• Carries out recruitment for following year (year 2&3) March to June for intake

presence at festival to understand parameters and constraints.

• Joint promotion and support from the Community Engagement Officer will play an integral role to ensuring a smooth transition from training to production particularly in engaging and sourcing hard to reach participants.