Rock legend Sting slams ‘successive governments’ for neglecting his house area
The Police frontman says his native north east has been ignored by governments after he gave a large donation to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.
Rock star Sting claims the North East has been “wilfully neglected by successive governments for decades”.
The Police star, 73, slammed multiple administrations for “ignoring its significant historical contribution to national life, both industrial and cultural”.
He said that “levelling up” strategies in the region were “empty promises”.
The musician, who grew up in Wallsend, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, lashed out as it was announced he had made a “generous” donation to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.
It has been described as the Tate Modern of the North East. The singer-songwriter, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, said: “The culture of the North East made me who I am, and I am proud of those roots.
“I want to acknowledge how lucky I have been and pay that debt back.
“Giving to Baltic is a way of saying thank you and ensuring that the next generation of young people on Tyneside have access to arts and culture.”
Sting, who will also perform at the centre’s fundraising gala in October, added: “This is about investing in the future of the North East.
“It’s about unleashing the creativity of children and young people so they can dream and think big.”
The centre plans to raise a £10 million Endowment Fund to keep entry free and support its community programmes.
Sarah Munro, the director of the gallery, said the donation was a “major step” towards establishing the fund.
She said: “We are incredibly grateful to Sting for his generous donation, which is a major step in establishing a crucially needed £10 million endowment.”
A Government spokesperson insisted it was investing £140 million in the seven most deprived towns in the North East, including Washington and Jarrow, as part of a wider £1.5 billion investment across the country.
The spokesperson added it would “fix the crisis we have inherited”.
