News, opinion and resources.
A response from Sir Nicholas Serota
A response from Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England, to an open letter on the future of arts funding from North East Cultural Freelancers.
An open letter on the future of Arts funding in England, in response to Sir Nicholas Serota’s article in the Guardian on Friday 16th May 2025
An open letter on the future of arts funding in England, in response to an article in The Guardian by Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England. Leila d’Aronville, Founder of North East Cultural Freelancers, stresses the need to support freelance and independent artists and cultural workers to support the ecology of the sector.
NECF Holds the Door Open thanks to Trailblazer Funding from Youth Music
North East Cultural Freelancers to support four young leaders from the Global Majority thanks to Youth Music Trailblazer Funding.
Introducing our new Director
Reflecting on the MOBOs
Leila d’Aronville reflects on the MOBOs and the MOBOs Fringe programme, which took place in Newcastle in February 2025.
Buckingham Palace – An Extra Ordinary Garden Party
Freelancer Best Practice Checklist
We are all imposters
End of 2022 reflections
NECF Founder, Leila D’Aronville, reflects on 2022…
“In the cultural sector we all need each other, and no more so than in the North East where we are already on the back-foot. This is why the North East Cultural Freelancers community is so vital.”
We won a national award!
How did we get here and where are we going?
North East Cultural Freelancers Founder, Leila d’Aronville, reflects on how the community came to be where it is now and where it is headed.
The best place in the world to be a cultural worker?
How can we make the North East the best place to be a cultural worker?
Membership - all you need to know
All you need to know about taking a membership to Tyne & Wear Cultural Freelancers. Picture courtesy Helen Fussell.
We are two!
It’s been 2 years since that fateful night I had a glass of wine and started the Tyne & Wear Cultural Freelancers Facebook group.
Resilience?
The skills that set freelancers apart at the beginning of lockdown – the creative problem solving, adaptability, flexibility and fleet-of-foot are now exhausted.
Hold the Door Open
Hold the Door Open is our response to the lack of diversity in the cultural sector when it comes to who gets to speak, who gets to be heard and who is put on stage.
Who is a leader?
You might not always find them leading organisations or commanding big salaries, but leaders are all around us and they are already doing so much with so little.
Best advice you’ve been given
We asked our Facebook group of over 1,800 creative and cultural freelancers to share with us the best advice they’ve been given.
New developments
An update on the past few months including a new project which we hope can support North East freelancers.
Good news
Update on the past few months at Tyne & Wear Cultural Freelancers from Leila.