Who are we?

We are a community for people working in the cultural sector in the North East, or connected to the North East.

We support over 6,000 cultural workers via our Facebook group, as well as running events and training programmes.

We also campaign for freelancer rights, advocate for wellbeing, offer support, create or seek opportunities and to spotlight the often hidden labour of freelancers in our cultural sector.

We want the North East to be the best place to be a cultural worker. So we work in collaboration with people and organisations across the region to raise standards and expectations for cultural freelancers.

Membership of our network is free to everyone, but you can contribute to the community if you can, and want to. There are different membership options for individuals and organisations.

NECF is currently made up of Founding Director, Leila d’Aronville, and Director, Sam Brimer. We work in partnership with our community, using freelancers for extra support when we can.

Join our Facebook group

Our strategic work

North East Cultural Freelancers (NECF) represents a transformative force in the region's cultural landscape, connecting over 6,000 cultural professionals across the North East. As a freelancer-led network established in 2019, NECF has evolved into a strategic infrastructure asset that delivers regional impact through advocacy, professional development, and strategic partnerships that strengthen the North East's cultural ecology.

Scale of Impact

NECF's network encompasses nearly 6,000 active members, representing one of the largest concentrations of cultural freelancers in any UK region. This freelancer-led community spans:

  • Visual and performing arts professionals

  • Heritage and museum specialists

  • Digital and creative technology experts

  • Cultural education practitioners

  • Arts administration, producers and project management professionals

Geographic Coverage

The network extends across the entire North East, with particular strength in:

  • Tyneside

  • Wearside

  • Northumberland creative communities

  • Durham cultural corridors

  • Cross-border collaborations with Scotland

Professional Diversity

NECF members represent the full spectrum of cultural practice, from emerging artists to established industry leaders, creating a knowledge ecosystem that drives innovation and excellence across the region.

“For many artists working freelance isn't a choice but a structural condition of our profession, having an organisation where we can share our concerns, experiences and be part of a network is invaluable. In a time when the cost of living crisis makes it increasingly difficult to survive as a creative practitioner, organisations like this [NECF] create a space for us to build community and speak as a collective in a working environment which all too often isolates us as individuals. I should add 'organisations like this' there really aren't any other organisations like this and larger orgs/ institutions often don't understand the needs of freelancers.”

- Michelle Allen, Artist and NECF Member

Working in Partnership

NECF's collaborative approach has established partnerships with:

  • Cultural organisations across all scales and artforms

  • Higher Education Institutions supporting skills development

  • Local and Combined Authorities informing policy development

  • National bodies including Arts Council England, DCMS, and Creative UK

  • Advocacy organisations such as WhatNext? UK, Freelancers Make Theatre Work and Campaign for the Arts

Programme Innovation

Freelancer Best Practice Checklist

Developed in partnership with North East Culture Partnership, this groundbreaking tool provides:

  • Anonymous assessment for organisations and freelancers

  • Improvement recommendations for working relationships

  • Sector-wide standards raising professional practices

  • Evidence base for policy development

Organisational Training

NECF delivers bespoke offers for organisations, helping them to become freelancer-friendly employers and embed best practice in their work.

Workforce Development

We offer comprehensive training programmes, aimed at individuals thinking about freelancing right through to leadership programmes.

“Since doing the 'Hold the Door Open' cultural leadership programme, I know that Leila D'Aronville and Sarah Raad 'have my back' which is like wearing an invisible armour. If the sh*t hits the fan, this network will support, advocate and look after me. “

- Kate Maines Beasley, Artist, Creative Practitioner and Member of NECF

Community Engagement

NECF's community-centred approach creates:

  • Trust networks across the independent workforce

  • Strengthened relationships between freelancers and funded organisations

  • Co-created opportunities responding to community-identified needs

  • Inclusive spaces supporting diverse voices and perspectives

 “To me, NECF is the voice of the North East arts world. So often our work has us running from place to place, trying our best to piece together knowledge all of us have in bits, but never as a whole. My career wouldn't be where it is without the brilliance, knowledge and generosity of folks in the NECF community, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.”

- Quinn Clark, Artist, Access Specialist and NECF Member