Sting says UK government 'wilfully' neglected North East
The former Police frontman, who grew up in Wallsend, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, told the BBC that the North East had been "wilfully neglected by successive governments for decades."
The comments came as it was announced the singer-songwriter had made a "generous" donation to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, which has been described as the Tate Modern of the north-east of England.
Sting told the BBC that governments had disregarded the North East, "ignoring its significant historical contribution to national life, both industrial and cultural," and added that "levelling up" strategies in the region were "empty promises."
The musician - 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."
In 2014, Sting premiered his musical The Last Ship, a passion project which told the story of the shipyards of his hometown of Newcastle. It was staged at Dublin's Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in 2018.
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."
Ms Munro added: "We are a much-loved gallery, welcoming 400,000 visitors through our doors each year, platforming artists, connecting communities and inspiring children and young people. We need to preserve this for generations to come."
Kim McGuinness, the Mayor of the North East, said: "Our cultural centres have a huge role to play so it is amazing to see Sting and Baltic come together to launch this new endowment to create exciting programmes and activities for years to come.
"This endowment will make sure Baltic continues to inspire the creative talents we want to see in future generations."
A UK Government spokesperson told the BBC 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."
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