A leading art and design college has welcomed the Government’s plan to celebrate and showcase the creative and cultural sectors across the northern region with today’s announcement on the Great Exhibition of the North.

Cleveland College of Art and Design (CCAD), a specialist art and design further and higher education college with sites in Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, believes the event will further boost the dynamic and thriving arts and culture scene and hopes that towns across the Tees Valley region consider putting in a bid for funding to host the two-month celebration in summer 2018.

Towns and cities across the North East, North West and Yorkshire have been invited to bid to put on the two-month exhibition, which will celebrate the best of art, culture and design across the northern regions.

Pat Chapman, Head of Employability and External Relations at CCAD, said:

“CCAD welcomes any support from Government which celebrates the very great cultural and creative contribution made by the North, it’s a shame this can’t be specific to the North East with our amazing and distinct culture.  After all the Government has just recognised in the Culture White Paper that the North East, with our Case for Culture and the Cultural Partnership, is a blueprint for the rest of the UK!  We encourage the Tees Valley arts community to offer a spectacular bid and show them what we can do!

“Whatever happens CCAD will continue to offer the best in specialist education for the creative industries and work to support communities and regeneration as with do with our record breaking Festival of Illustration which brings international artists to the heart of the community.”

For more information on the event and funding bid, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/competition-opens-to-host-great-exhibition-of-the-north