Arts Emergency North East Launch

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE/GATESHEAD – On the 1st of May, Breeze Creatives will be hosting an event at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead to introduce and showcase London based charity Arts Emergency. Co-founded and ran by Josie Long and Neil Griffiths the charity is dedicated to helping disadvantaged people gain access to arts education through a mentorship program. They believe that each person who has been fortunate to have been helped along their artistic career should give back. Whether it is through the mentor system, or by donation to the charity.

The increasing divide between rich and poor alongside the rise in University fees, changes the way people view their prospectus degrees. Being tempted to play safe and opt for a more work-related degree or more 'useful' job jeopardises the future of the humanities, leading towards nationwide mergers and closures.

"Arts Emergency are highlighting the reversal of decades' of social access to the arts, and by association the possible disappearance of whole strands of discourse and the loss of educational enfranchisement to future generations. Save the thinker!" Stewart Lee

Breeze Creatives are dedicated to working alongside this organisation, which based in London struggles to have much 'feet on the floor' action in the North East. Which is why we are dedicated to raising money for them alongside a free office space in central Newcastle, so that mentors can come and meet students and work from there. The inspiring work that this charity undertakes can be seen on their website so please take the time to check it out at www.arts-emergency.org

The event itself will be a sister event to those taking part on the South Bank for the promotion of Arts Emergency. We have decided to support the amazing work that Arts Emergency is doing in recruiting mentors from the most diverse range of artistic practices in order to support young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds enter into the arts. Breeze Creatives and Arts Emergency are wishing to gather mentors in all areas, dance, performance, theatre, creative writing etc.

Participating organisation include ¡VAMOS!, ZENDEH, Dance City, Candy Vortex, NOVAK, Star & Shadow Cinema, more to be announced soon. And music from Shields.

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For media enquiries contact Zoe Anderson on 07533 195512 or email info@breezecreatives.com. Press images can be emailed upon request.

Breeze Creatives CIC, 8th Floor, Bamburgh House, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BH.
Tel: 07533 195512

Notes to editors

• Breeze Creatives is a Community Interest Company based in Newcastle upon Tyne that specialises in cultural projects and events around the North East of England. www.breezecreatives.com
• Housed in a landmark industrial building on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, BALTIC is a major international centre for contemporary art. BALTIC has no permanent collection, providing instead an ever-changing calendar of exhibitions and events that give a unique and compelling insight into contemporary artistic practice. BALTIC's dynamic, diverse and international programme ranges from blockbuster exhibitions to innovative new work and projects created by artists working within the local community. www.balticmill.com
• Learning to read poetry or philosophy or how to understand a painting or film are not elite pursuits, but now rising tuition fees and the withdrawal of public funding for the teaching of Arts and Humanities at university means they risk becoming so. Arts Emergency believe that looming debt affects the type of degree young people choose. It changes the way people view degrees, as a financial trade off based on perceived employability. Combined with an escalating premium on many jobs and the lack of countervailing pressure at home or school, many students are tempted to play safe, opting for apparently "useful" or more work-related degrees. www.arts-emergency.org