Big ideas need brilliant producers. Apply now to be part of the next Creative Producer Training cohort.

The Creative Producer Programme a free, 10-session practice and skills development programme for people who want to make bigger things happen.

Whether you're producing festivals, live events, community projects or creative experiences, CPP is here to build your confidence, sharpen your skills and give you the tools to scale your work and projects. It's about backing producers with bold ideas, helping them grow their practice, build stronger partnerships and deliver more ambitious projects that have a real impact.

This programme is investing in the people who will help shape the North East's creative future. By developing the next generation of producers, CPP is strengthening the region's creative economy, championing community-led work and making sure great ideas have the support to grow

• Applications open: 1 August 2026

• Deadline: 12 September 2026

• Open to producers with 5-10 years experience.

• Programme start: November 2026

• Opportunity to pitch for 6 x £15,000 commissions for #NOVUM27

Who's it for?

CPP is for creative producers who are already making things happen and are ready to take the next leap.

This isn't a beginner's course. It's for producers with around five to ten years' experience who are working with communities, artists and partners to create cultural projects, festivals and live events, and who want to think bigger, build stronger and deliver work with even greater impact.

Across the programme, you'll get stuck into real-world challenges, unpack case studies from the North East and beyond, and learn from producers who are leading ambitious cultural projects. You'll sharpen your strategic thinking, grow your confidence, expand your network and build the skills needed to scale your practice.

The programme finishes with the chance to pitch for a commission to develop a project for NOVUM Festival 2027—giving selected producers the opportunity to turn bold ideas into a live cultural experience as part of Newcastle's biggest celebration of creativity.

Participants will develop capability and confidence across:

• Creative project management and production planning

• Working with briefs across different scales and contexts

• Stakeholder mapping and engagement through co-creation

• Risk management as a creative tool

• Understanding funders and how to position your work accordingly

• Budgeting, resourcing, and financial modelling

• Creative leadership and team management

• Comms and Marketing strategy

• Equity, diversity, and inclusion in practice

• Pitching and communicating ideas to decision-makers

When does it happen and what is the commitment?

The programme runs through weekly daytime sessions on Mondays from November to February, with a festive break over Christmas. Delivered in person in Newcastle city centre by Curated Place, it's designed to fit around practice while creating space to step back, learn, challenge ideas and build lasting connections with other producers.

Every participant becomes part of a growing network of North East producers who are backing each other, sharing knowledge and opening doors. Together, this alumni community is building a stronger, more connected creative sector, growing the skills, confidence and leadership needed to deliver bigger, bolder cultural projects across the region, while connecting the North East to national and international opportunities.

Who is a Creative Producer?

Creative producers are the people who get things off the ground. They're the connectors, organisers, problem-solvers and champions who take an idea with artistic vision and practically turn it into something people can see, experience and be part of.

We're looking for producers who want to create bigger, bolder work—whether that's festivals, live events, public art, community projects or cultural experiences. People who thrive on bringing artists, communities, partners and audiences together to make brilliant things happen.

We encourage applications from:

• Emerging and mid-career producers working across any artform

• Community organisers and cultural practitioners delivering projects for their communities

• Venue-based or project-based producers looking to develop broader skills

• Those working in the cultural sector who can demonstrate an existing community connection and want to develop the strategic capability to go further

• Artists who currently self-produce and want to scale or diversify their practice

• Organisers of events/festivals seeking to scale up

We want this programme to reflect the diversity of the North East and encourage applications from people whose voices are often underrepresented in the creative industries. This includes disabled and neurodivergent people, people from Global Majority and ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQ+ people, carers, migrants, adults in recovery, people from working-class backgrounds, and those living in areas experiencing higher levels of deprivation.

We know that everyone has different access needs. Funding is available to provide access support throughout the programme, and we'll work with successful applicants to make sure they have what they need to take part fully.

The NOVUM Commission Opportunity

One of the biggest opportunities on the programme comes at the end.

Participants who complete CPP can pitch for a commission of around £15,000 to develop and deliver a brand-new co-created project as part of NOVUM Summer Festival 2027—Newcastle's annual takeover of culture, play and entertainment, transforming the city centre into one giant playground of performance, creativity and community celebration.

The successful producers will receive funding, alongside technical, production and marketing support from the NOVUM team, to bring their idea to life.

You can apply for the CPP without a fixed idea or project in mind - we're not looking for finished plans; we're looking for potential. Your idea will evolve throughout the programme as you test, challenge and grow it. The commission is awarded on the strength of your final pitch, not what you write in your CPP application.

What matters is that your project puts Newcastle communities at its heart, not just as audiences, but as collaborators helping to shape and create the work.

Who can apply?

We're looking for people who are already making things happen and are ready to take the next step.

To apply, you'll need to:

• Be based in Newcastle or the North East within the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority area.

• Be aged 18 or over.

• Be able to commit to all 10 Monday daytime sessions in Newcastle.

• Have experience delivering creative or cultural projects, whether that's festivals, events, community programmes, music, theatre, public art or other creative experiences.

• Be ready to grow beyond your current practice and develop your skills as a creative producer.

• Be available to take part in NOVUM Summer Festival 2027 if you're awarded the commission at the end of the programme.

• Formal qualifications are not required.

• Where we receive multiple applications from the same organisation, we'll usually offer a place to one person. This helps build a cohort with a broad mix of perspectives

• We welcome applications from both freelance producers and people working within cultural or creative organisations. However, where we receive multiple applications from the same organisation, we'll usually offer one place to ensure the cohort brings together a wide range of people, experiences and perspectives.

How we'll choose the cohort

Applications will be reviewed by a panel from Newcastle City Council. If you're shortlisted, we may invite you for a short informal chat.

We're not looking for the longest CV or the biggest list of projects. We're looking for producers with bold ideas, a track record of making things happen, and the drive to take their practice further.

We'll be looking at:

• The creative projects you've already delivered.

• Your connection to Newcastle and the North East, and your commitment to the people and places you work with.

• Your ambition to grow as a producer and create bigger, more impactful work.

• What you'll bring to the cohort through collaboration, curiosity and a willingness to learn.

• We want to build a diverse group of producers who challenge, support and inspire each other. We especially encourage applications from people and communities that are underrepresented in the creative industries, and from those committed to growing culture in Newcastle and across the North East.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted via the online form via the button below by no later than 12 September 2026.

Alternatively, applicants may submit a 3-minute video response to the application questions by the same deadline.

If you need this application in a different format, or would like support to complete it, please get in touch at info@curatedplace.com. We'll work with you to make the application process as accessible as possible.