The use of culture and the arts has become increasingly common in the regeneration process and the North East has become one of the leading examples of how it can make a positive impact upon the lives of a population. The development of cultural icons such as Sage, Baltic and The Angel of the North have shown that iconic projects can go a long way to improving external perceptions of an area, as well as providing environmental, economic and social benefits.

The Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside has become a positive example of how underutilised land and resources can be beneficially regenerated. Effective cultural landmarks can boost local tourism and restore civic pride, whilst also improving the perceived quality of life in an area. This is vital in encouraging talented and creative individuals into the region.

Civic pride has been identified as a key factor in increasing the aspirations of a population. This is important in realising business creation and entrepreneurial activity targets for the next ten years. Aspiration has also been shown to be essential in creating productive employees.

In addition to the physical build, the region also hosts a number of high profile festivals.

Regeneration through culture can take place in any of the following three ways:

• Culture-Led Regeneration – this is usually a high profile project involving the reclamation of open space or the introduction of a new event or activity.
• Cultural Regeneration – the full integration of culture into an ongoing strategy or existing regeneration plan.
• Culture and Regeneration – small scale introduction of culture which is not integrated into a strategy, can often be filling a vacuum and be community led.