Our first big chunk of funding has been announced! HUGE thanks North of Tyne Combined Authority , soon to become NEMCA (North East Mayoral Combined Authority) for believing in us and to the Creative Central NCL team at Newcastle City Council for partnering with us on our capital project. This shows real support for the NE cultural and creative sector and sets us on our way. We hope to follow this with more good news from other funders in the coming weeks and months so we can make a start on the refurb and turn this unused building into a vibrant hub of creativity for people to enjoy and cherish. You can see the full article at https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tyne-theatre-restoration-ashington-town-28817808?fbclid=IwAR1PF4UpnPjW9Ijv3EL4QOBx8lD-mk6XMC1veMR-M6_4KY9FKIs7-NF5FJ0

Dear friends. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of fundraising activity, and this will continue in earnest over the next couple of months, whilst at the same time we wait for news on capital grant awards. Having passed the first round, we were invited to the Arts Council’s final round of their highly competitive Capital Investment Programme in October. That was an intense time to produce the 600-page application! It’s been non-stop since, as this was only the first of a series of grant applications to a range of funders aiming to raise the total capital investment of £1,693,00 that we hope will see ‘the whole’ venue developed - and it is all thanks to your early support that raised the attention of major funders. You proved the need and demand for this space. Your generosity opened minds, urging funders to help open the actual doors. The next couple of months will be the most intensive yet, as we try to gain traction on filling the funding gap, whilst also procuring for our remaining Design Team to get ready to start building! Believe us, we’re working exhaustively day and night. It’s become bigger and more complicated than we ever imagined, but the 30-year lease is ready to go - we just have to keep on going and play the waiting game for funding news to come through a little while longer. The new financial year starts in April and it’s by then we hope the green light will shine for the lease and construction can start. “When, WHEN will it open?” your cry! We wish it could be tomorrow, but to secure the funding to do this right and create a space that will be there for years to come, we’re talking Spring ’25 – just over a year away. Since we started on our mission in 2021 it’s been devastating to see the demolition of creative spaces, more talent leaving the city in search of opportunities elsewhere, and particularly the recent closures of several local community arts organisations that were doing such good work but were doubly hit by the pandemic and funding cuts since. We feel the Inclusive Creative Arts Hub is more needed now than ever and is pivotal to Newcastle’s cultural renaissance. Our capital project is aligned with Newcastle’s Cultural Strategy and is destined to be a transformative force within the council’s Creative Central NCL zone, supporting and complementing the surviving and hopefully forthcoming grassroots arts organisations, groups and freelancers in the area. We’re grateful to Newcastle City Council and North of Tyne Combined Authority who continue to support our initiative. Live Theatre too, who came on board as a supportive NPO, freely bringing us help and guidance in all sorts of areas, and to Gosforth Civic Theatre who have given great advice - having gone through a successful capital development recently. At the heart of our mission is bringing diverse artists and groups of people together under one roof, and while we pursue the Capital Project fervently, our charity wants to develop audiences and create opportunities now. We’re delighted to have received a project grant from the Newcastle Culture Investment Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to present a free family-friendly and accessible event at the Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle on Sunday 24th March. ‘Sunday Gathering – the art of community’ is aimed at becoming a monthly happening when Boho opens. Stay with us. We’re working hard and we’re getting there!

Dear friends. We have news! Boho's capital project and mission to create a brand new accessible creative arts hub here in Newcastle is making progress. We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Graham McDarby, director of Gradon Architecture as our new Lead Designer, and Martin Round, director of Artis on board as our Cost Consultant. Both bring exceptional experience in the arts and charitable sectors to help us develop our vision, and to hopefully help unlock the further capital funding we need. Their appointments are thanks to additional funding we have been awarded from 'Creative Central: NCL' (formerly known as CCZ - Cultural Creative Zone) funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority and Newcastle City Council. We are so very grateful as this enables us to bring on board the design team and other specialists that are essential to the project. Our capital project and mission to create a brand new accessible creative arts hub here in Newcastle is making steady progress. We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Graham McDarby, director of Gradon Architecture as our new Lead Designer, and Martin Round, director of Artis on board as our Cost Consultant. Both bring exceptional experience in the arts and charitable sectors to help us develop our vision, and having the right team who bring their skills and talents to the project will hopefully hopefully help unlock the further capital funding we need as well. Their appointments are thanks to additional funding we have been awarded from 'Creative Central: NCL' (formerly known as CCZ - Cultural Creative Zone) funded by North of Tyne Combined Authority and Newcastle City Council. We are so very grateful as this enables us to bring on board the design team and other specialists that are essential to the project. Procurement for our design team began in May, and continues as we begin to advertise for further specialist consultants to bring on board. We're working on the project round the clock and it feels great to finally have the beginnings of a professional and experienced team around us - and it is exciting to sit down with the new team to think and talk creatively!

Oops, sorry - it was actually £700 more than the last picture showed!

A million thank yous! The crowdfunding campaign closed on Monday, successfully passing our target by almost £1500. We can’t believe the support we’ve had. It has been incredible. It’s been a whirlwind. Now a brief moment to catch our breath and onto the next steps… meetings with funders, architects, construction firms…. we will keep you posted on developments. You are all superstars. To have so many people backing us shows how important this venture is to so many people. We feel excited, blessed and thoroughly grateful.