Future Heritage brought together retail, education, culture, industry and civic partners around the ambition to celebrate Newcastle’s creative talent while giving young people a clearer route into fashion. Read how the partnership grew into a nationally recognised programme, delivered results beyond the catwalk and offers a useful model for destinations looking to build local relevance and long-term value.
The Power of Community Partnerships
16 Oct 2026
Last month, Grainger Market became a catwalk for the first time in its history, and in doing so helped springboard some of Newcastle’s up and coming fashion and design talent onto a national stage.
This was the culmination of Future Heritage an initiative founded between Eldon Square, Newcastle College, XPE Group, BWP and Newcastle City Council. It started with a shared ambition to put Newcastle on the fashion map, shine a light on the region’s creativity and talent, and give young people a meaningful opportunity to see what a career in the industry could look like.
There was a real social purpose behind it too. Supporting and retaining creative talent is a priority for the city, while Newcastle College’s leadership team shared the challenge of showing students that they do not need to move to London to kick start – or remain in – a thriving career in fashion.
A steering group was created to help turn that ambition into a x plan. BWP’s role was to help shape the partnership, identify the opportunities, engage stakeholders, and tell a story that could create value for everyone involved.
Eighty fashion and design students from Newcastle College responded to a live brief about the importance of place, inspired by Newcastle’s heritage and Eldon Square’s 50th anniversary milestone this year.
We announced the partnership to industry and stakeholders at MIPIM in March, and from there, the partnership continued to grow from in depth and strength.
The British Fashion Council saw Future Heritage as the right vehicle to bring its landmark Fashion Britain programme to Newcastle, with Grainger Market being chosen as the setting for an unforgettable finale.
The Fashon Britain x Future Heritage showcase saw the winning students’ designs take to the runway alongside a brilliant show from Newcastle fashion student and Jerry J Clothing founder, Lamin Gibba. It was a powerful demonstration of what can happen when education, retail, culture, industry and civic partners collaborate around a shared vision for the city.
There was a clear commercial benefit too, including an 18% uplift in footfall at the adjacent Eldon Square on the day of the Grainger Market event. But social value does not always produce an immediate, easily attributable return – and whether it is right to do so is subject to ongoing debate as the benefits go beyond traditional metrics.
However they have been shown to influence longer-term value through the relationships a destination builds: whether occupiers and brand partners are more likely to stay, recommend, attract and retain great people, and see it as somewhere that understands its role in the wider community.
Future Heritage will not be the sole reason for any of those outcomes. But it is a strong example of an authentic, place-making partnership that contributes to them. The strongest commercial results came because the project wasn’t designed as a sales and marketing exercise. It responded to a genuine local need and gave partners a reason to collaborate in a meaningful and creative way.
I asked the star of the show Lamin what makes Newcastle so special? His answer was simple: “Because everyone wants you to win.”
And when it all came together at the Grainger Market event, that feeling was palpable; in the students backing one another, the city and industry stakeholders opening doors and lending their time, expertise and platforms, and the community who turned up in crowds to celebrate them.
Future Heritage is a reminder that reputation is not built by simply saying the right things at the right time. It is earned by showing up for a place, understanding what matters to its people and bringing the right partners together around a shared purpose.
We’re very proud to have played a part alongside everyone who made it happen.