THE CREATIVE SEED

The Creative Seed started very much as a community based, artist led social enterprise and quickly developed in response to community needs. The company’s roots in carnival arts however grew from an overwhelming demand from local authorities and communities around the North East to develop or re-establish carnival activities in their area. 

Parades and carnivals have a long cultural history in the North East but with the decline in heavy industry in the 1980’s the resulting effects on local economies also had a devastating impact on long established cultural activities including parades and carnivals. Some events were completely lost but others struggled on, even though shadows of their former glory. 

The Creative Seed has become part of a modest network of cultural organisations reigniting the flame of carnivals across the region, working with communities to develop high quality impactful events whilst encouraging high levels of community participation and ownership.
 
The company’s work in the last 5 years has been focused on its carnival development work in South Tyneside and Sunderland. Development work has included working closely with South Tyneside Council on creating a new look and feel to the ever popular South Tyneside Parade and working with Sunderland BID on successfully establishing the Sunderland “Lights Out” Halloween Parade as a major event on the Sunderland city centre calendar.
 
At the heart of the company are team of associate artists, designers and makers who are all committed to the company’s goal of bringing creativity, culture and carnival to the hearts of the communities across the region
 
Some other projects the Creative Seed have worked on are Newcastle Mela, Sunderland Tall Ships, SIRF and VAMOS!