Sage music centre to lose 110 jobs as it faces £10m black hole

The internationally renowned Sage Gateshead music centre has announced it is making 110 staff redundant.

The centre, which overlooks Newcastle’s quayside, has projected a £10 million loss caused by the coronavirus crisis.

The charity that runs the centre said it had fought hard to avoid the jobs losses and had set up a fundraising campaign to protect the Sage’s future, gaining support from the musician Sting and Dame Margaret Barbour, chairman of the waxed jacket clothing firm.

A spokesperson for the centre said: “Like many organisations across all sectors, Sage Gateshead has had to find ways of controlling the financial impact of the pandemic.

“This has involved some incredibly difficult decisions, this being the hardest of all.

“Each and every one of the Sage Gateshead team are highly skilled and dedicated, and it is with deep regret that 110 of our friends and colleagues will be leaving us.”