They’ll be making windmills in Blyth this weekend which isn’t an inappropriate activity for a town deeply invested in renewable energy.
But these aren’t the giant wind turbines you’ll find at ORE Catapult, one of Blyth’s thriving employers and innovators.
Instead they’re the brightly coloured craft versions children will be making in the whirling windmill workshops inside Blyth’s Market Pavilion.
They are part of the ongoing legacy of last year’s Blyth Celebrates cultural programme whose many highlights are recalled in a short film which is also being released over the weekend.
The film and the workshops, run by Newcastle-based Moving Parts Arts, come exactly a year after the launch of Blyth Celebrates when nobody could know for certain how successful it would be.
Well, the stats are now in, showing that more than 90,000 people attended or took part in the various workshops and events that took place from summer 2025 and into 2026.
“I think it has been a huge success,” says Wendy Scott, Northumberland County Council’s cultural development manager.
“The atmosphere was so positive with people of all ages enjoying themselves, and it drew in visitors and helped to find new audiences.”
None of this activity took place without the involvement of local people, including those who sat on a community panel.
It was eight years ago, says Wendy, that initial consultations took place to find out what the people of Blyth wanted for their town.
“They talked about events and festivals, and that’s where the idea of Blyth Celebrates came from, but mainly they wanted a cultural building which is what led to the Market Pavilion.
“The fact that 240,000 people have gone into the building in less than a year is pretty impressive.
“It’s a fantastic, welcoming space and it means there’s plenty of activity in the town centre. Everybody we’ve talked to seems really engaged in what’s been going on.”
There will be doubters, inevitably, but the many expressions of delight – you’ll hear plenty in the film – persuaded Northumberland County Council to fund a second Blyth Celebrates programme.
It features a line-up of events, performances, exhibitions and creative experiences focused on the Market Pavilion in the town centre.
Many are free and the rest are what the organisers deem affordable.
All will give what Wendy Scott calls “added value” to activities scheduled around calendar highlights such as Halloween and Christmas which fall under the remit of Julie Summers, events co-ordinator (among other things) on Blyth Town Council.
And the new programme begins with those windmill crafting workshops and the film which, while capturing the excitement of the past 12 months, is intended to provide impetus and inspiration going forward.
“It’s a nine-minute celebration of Blyth Celebrates, explaining that it involved 308 events, 21 venues and 195 volunteers (as well as all those visitors) and with beautiful flashback images and people saying how phenomenal it was,” says Wendy.
“Now the challenge is to go back to people who perhaps didn’t engage with it to try to involve them in thinking positively about the place where they live and how proud they could be of it.”
Coun. Wendy Pattison, who holds the culture, leisure and tourism brief at the county council, calls Blyth Celebrates “one of Blyth’s great success stories”, saying it had supported local businesses, united communities and presented the town as “an exciting destination for culture and creativity”.
It had, moreover, connected people with the town’s stories, places and communities.
Blyth’s fascinating history might not have comes as news to the locals but it will have surprised many visitors, encouraging them perhaps to see the place in a new light.
Some of this history was highlighted by Salt & Smoke: Stories of Blyth, a piece of promenade theatre by Alnwick-based Novo Theatre which took audience members on a tour of the town to see various characters brought to life by actors.
It proved so popular that it is to return over two weekends (September 18 to 20 and 25 to 27), free to local residents but modestly priced for those living outside the NE24 postcode.
This second iteration of Blyth Celebrates focuses on the Market Pavilion with those windmill workshops to be followed by others throughout the year.
Look out for Reclaim, Remake, Reveal (Melanie Fox showing how to make unwanted garments desirable – September 30 and October 7 and 14) and Play, Discover & Glow (creative sessions for young children hosted by Amy West’s Cherry & Bee enterprise – October 2, 9, 16 and 23).
An exhibition called Blyth Lifeboat 200: Our Town, Our Story will run at the Pavilion from September 15 to 20, reflecting the town’s seafaring heritage, while the building will become Blyth Comedy Campus on three November Thursdays, offering workshops in stand-up, comedy writing and performance.
Another hugely popular theatrical revival comes on November 14 when Unfolding Theatre present Best in the World, its acclaimed one-man show that sees actor Alex Elliott reflecting on the nature of success… and darts.
Buoyed by the success of Blyth Celebrates, the town submitted an expression of interest to be considered for the Government’s UK Town of Culture 2028 accolade.
It didn’t make the shortlist (only Stockton did in the North East) but the ambition speaks volumes about how Blyth has come to regard itself, as a town with much to offer.
Wendy Scott was delighted when £20 million was secured for Blyth under the Government’s new Pride in Place initiative.
The money must be invested over 10 years in measures designed to revive high streets, tackle anti-social behaviour and grow the local economy.
“There are lots of different strands to the Pride in Place programme but we were able to make the case for a continuation of our cultural strand,” says Wendy.
“We presented the idea that we’d put out a call, inviting artists and art organisations to work across the eight wards in Blyth and with Cambois making it nine.
“We’re also going to create a community panel to make the decisions on which artists and arts organisations are going to work in which ward.
“That should kick start in the New Year and hopefully lead into them being part of Blyth Town Carnival and Blythfest (the town’s summer celebration of arts and culture) next year.”
Ten years ago Blyth hosted the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta, attracting 500,000 visitors.
Now, hot on the heels of Blyth Celebrates 2025-26 comes Blyth Celebrates 2026-27.
Clearly it’s a happening place. Who knows what might follow?
Keep an eye on the Blyth Celebrates website for details and updates.