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Community Foundation North East supports Moving Parts Arts to bring creativity to communities across Newcastle 

Community Foundation North East has awarded Moving Parts Arts a three-year grant of £25,000 per year through the Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund, supporting the organisation’s work to make arts and culture accessible to communities across the city. Based in the West End of Newcastle, Moving Parts Arts is a puppetry theatre company whose work removes barriers to participation through non-verbal storytelling.  

The Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund, managed by Senior Philanthropy Advisor Jo Cundall, provides vital core funding to cultural organisations across the city. This flexible, long-term support enables organisations like Moving Parts Arts to sustain their work, respond to community needs, and continue developing creative programmes with lasting impact. 

Jo said: 

“Core funding is essential for organisations such as Moving Parts Arts. It provides the stability and flexibility they need to plan ahead, invest in their work, and respond to the needs of the communities they serve. Their approach shows how creativity can bring people together, amplify local voices and ensure that arts and culture remain accessible to everyone, regardless of background or circumstance.” 

Community Foundation North East was recently invited to the launch of A Treasury of Tyneside Tales, a Moving Parts Arts project celebrating local heritage, storytelling and creativity. Held at The Great North Museum, the event showcased 100 participant-made ‘crankies’, a traditional form of moving panorama storytelling, alongside a puppet performance and a handcrafted visual diary. 

Inspired by local folklore uncovered in the museum’s library and archive, the project brought together older adults and young people to share memories of their neighbourhoods 

Kerrin Tatwood, Artistic Director at Moving Parts Arts, said: 

“A Treasury of Tyneside Tales has been a 9 month heritage and arts project during 2025-2026 that has brought together 100 intergenerational residents of Tyneside… The project culminated in a 100-crankie-strong exhibition and a professional show using a giant crankie at the Great North Museum during the 2026 Easter Holidays. The funding from Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund transformed the project and was the keystone in being able to make it happen, coupled with funding from Heritage Lottery, North East Combined Authority and Hays Travel. We are hugely thankful to Community Foundation North East for their continued support of Moving Parts Arts and our mission to keep creativity accessible, vibrant and relevant in Newcastle.” 

Through initiatives like the Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund, Community Foundation North East continues to support organisations rooted in their communities, enabling them to create meaningful opportunities for connection, creativity and cultural participation across the region.