Culture Digest 06.02.26
A round up of the arts and culture stories which caught our attention over the past week or so...
Rising star Alfie Williams wins Critics Circle award
Congratulations to Newcastle actor Alfie Williams who has been named Young British/Irish Performer of the Year at the star-studded 46th London Critics Circle Film Awards in London, following his breakout role in the 28 Years Later film series.
The 15-year-old received the award for his performance as Spike last years instalment of the long-running horror franchise - shot entirely in the North East - which also offered him his big screen debut alongside the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes.
Alfie reprised the role in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the fourth film in the series, which went on general release last month (January) which was shot back to back with its predecessor.
Others honoured at this week’s ceremony held at the Mayfair Hotel in the capital included Jessie Buckley for Hamnet; Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme and Sean Penn for One Battle After Another. Meanwhile Cynthia Erivo and Guillermo del Toro both received special awards for Innovation and Excellence in Film, respectively.
Reacting to winning the award, Alfie posted on his Instagram: “Wow what a night. Met some amazing people at the @criticscircle and I’m honoured to be given the award. Damn that was awesome.”
Puppetry Fest suspended due to funding shortfall
There is to be no Newcastle Puppetry Festival this year due to a lack of funding, say the organisers at arts charity Moving Parts Arts.
The announcement on Facebook, introduced as ‘The Bad News’, states: “Against all of our best efforts as a tiny team, we have been unable to secure Arts Council England funding to be able to make the 2026 Newcastle Puppetry Festival go ahead.
“We wish to say a huge thank you to the 250+ artists who took the time to apply, especially the shortlisted artists who have held the dates for close to a year.
“Also a big thank you to our venue and community partners, and other funders, for backing the 2026 festival proposal.
“The journey does not end here though – we will try again next year.”
This post added under ‘The Good News’ that funding from other supporters would enable a programme of Easter holiday activities to go ahead from April 4 to 12.
Self Esteem headlining Mouth of the Tyne
Whoever looks after bookings for the Mouth of the Tyne Festival has knocked it out of the park for 2026.
The Ministry of Sound Classical gig for the Friday night open air concert has already sold out… and by the time you read this, we’re betting that the Saturday night shindig will be well on its way to following suit.
Self Esteem - aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor - has signed on to headline at Tynemouth Priory and Castle on Saturday, July 11.
The announcement follows her recent nomination for Artist of the Year at the 2026 Brit Awards, further cementing her status as one of the most influential voices in British pop.
Taylor released her third album and debut book, both titled A Complicated Woman, in 2025. Her breakthrough second album Prioritise Pleasure received widespread critical acclaim, earning nominations for the Mercury Prize and a Brit Award, and was named Album of the Year by both The Guardian and The Sunday Times Culture. Its lead single I Do This All the Time was also named The Guardian’s number one song of 2021.
Self Esteem is no stranger to North East stages. Only last year she played back to back sell out gigs at The Glasshouse and Newcastle o2 City Hall. She’s also clocked up rafter-troubling gigs at Wylam Brewery and headlined a memorable concert alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia for BBC Proms in 2023.
Closure confirmed for SIX restaurant at BALTIC
The rooftop restaurant at BALTIC, which boasted panoramic views of Newcastle Quayside - and caught the attention of Michelin Guide inspectors - announced its immediate closure this week.
SIX opened in 2009 as part of the gallery’s wider offer, becoming a familiar destination for visitors and a prominent part of the Quayside’s cultural landscape.
Although closely associated with the gallery, the restaurant operated independently and was acquired in 2023 by Middlesbrough-based Pneuma Group.
In a statement, the restaurant cited rising costs and sustained losses. “Like many in the hospitality sector, we’ve absorbed increasing costs for as long as we could, rather than pass the full impact on to our guests, but the cumulative effect has now become unstable,” it said. “After exploring every available option to continue trading we have made the extremely difficult decision to close.”
BALTIC confirmed the decision was taken by Pneuma Group, describing it as a commercial closure separate from the gallery’s operations. The statement went on to thank Fresh Element, which previously ran the restaurant, for its contribution over many years, and acknowledged the news would be disappointing for visitors.
The gallery added it will now review options for the future of the restaurant space, saying that any next chapter will “reflect the exciting, creative and high-quality offer that BALTIC is known for”.
SIX said customers with existing bookings would be contacted to arrange refunds, with valid gift vouchers also being reimbursed.
Help shape the sound of Sunderland’s new radio station
A new online radio station dedicated to championing local talent is calling on Sunderland creatives to help define its on-air sound, with submissions now open ahead of its launch.
Sunderland Music City Radio is inviting producers, musicians and residents to create custom station idents and submit original music for potential airplay. The station will stream via the Music City website and aims to reflect the breadth of Sunderland’s music scene.
As part of the call-out, contributors are encouraged to produce short jingles of up to 10 seconds, which will be used between tracks throughout the day. The station is also building its music library and is seeking submissions from Sunderland-based artists, or those with strong links to the city.
Clock ticking for ClassicsFest writing entries
With the deadline fast approaching, writers are being urged to submit entries for the third edition of ClassicsFest, which returns this spring.
This year’s theme, Food and Feasting in Antiquity, draws on the ancient recipe collection attributed to Apicius, challenging writers to make the material resonate with modern audiences. The winning idea will be developed into a short script and performed at Alphabetti Theatre in May 2026.
Entries must be submitted by 6pm on Friday, February 13. Maybe it’ll be lucky for you! Full details are available via the Lit & Phil website.
Call out for artists ahead of Newcastle craft fair
Applications are now open for GNCCF Newcastle, part of the Great North Contemporary Craft Fairs programme, ahead of its return to the region later this year.
Taking place from June 19–21, the fair is inviting submissions across painting, drawing, sculpture and photography, alongside contemporary craft.
Following a strong debut year, organisers say they are building on early momentum, with applications closing soon. Full details and the application link are available here.
Live Theatre launches summer school for young creatives
A new holiday programme aimed at children and young people with an interest in drama, storytelling and creative writing is on offer at Live Theatre this summer.
The Newcastle venue will run its Summer School across two weeks in July, offering structured daytime sessions for children aged 7–10 and 11–15. The programme will take place from July 20-24 and July 27-31, with sessions running daily from 10am to 3pm.
Week one focuses on performance-making, with participants working towards creating an original piece of theatre from scratch.
In week two, the emphasis shifts to stories and writing. Younger participants will take part in Story Makers, combining drama activities with hands-on crafts to create their own illustrated story to take home. Older groups will join Story Writers, developing original narratives through creative writing, drama exercises and group activities that explore character, plot and structure.
Each week costs £150 per child. Further details and booking information are available via the Live Theatre website.
Architect who reshaped Newcastle celebrated with new plaque
He was an architect with monumental plans for Newcastle and who designed a sweep of prominent buildings and structures on Tyneside.
Robert Burns Dick, who has just been honoured with a plaque, certainly left his mark with creations ranging from the Spanish City at Whitley Bay and Berwick police station to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.
But his legacy could have been even greater if two of his most ambitious schemes had come to fruition.
He envisaged a grand entrance into Newcastle for people and traffic arriving via the then new Tyne Bridge.
Having designed the towers of the bridge, he cast his eyes towards the foot of Pilgrim Street, with a vision for a gigantic triumphal entrance arch complex which doubled as a civic centre.
This was no pie in the sky dreaming from an architect whose work includes the Pilgrim Street Fire Station, Market Street police station and courts, and the neo-Jacobean students’ union building gateway to Newcastle University.
Student theatre festival reaches new stage in Newcastle
The Northern School of Art will bring its final-year acting students to Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle for the first time in 2026, as the InterAct Festival expands beyond its long-standing home in Stockton.
The festival showcases contemporary theatre created by students on the School’s BA (Hons) Acting for Stage and Screen degree, with technical support from its Film, TV & Theatre Production course.
Performances will take place across multiple venues between February and April, giving students exposure to new audiences and professional theatre settings across the North East.
Folklore, not frights, at heart of new Amble museum plan
A new museum proposal in Amble is aiming to explore Northumberland’s darker folklore - without resorting to jump scares or haunted house theatrics.
Amble-based creative Michele Marie Liddle has launched a crowdfunding campaign to create the Northumberland Haunted Museum, a community-led project rooted in local history, legend and storytelling.
The proposed museum would focus on the region’s rich tradition of folklore and paranormal belief, drawing on historic accounts, cultural references and stories shared by residents.
Planned as a Community Interest Company, the museum is intended to be as much a gathering place as an exhibition space. The proposed layout includes a communal ground-floor area for conversation, talks and workshops, encouraging visitors to share stories and connect.
An upstairs gallery would explore the more unsettling side of the paranormal, including curious or allegedly haunted objects, presented in an educational and respectful way.
Free tickets for Gaia and Museum of the Moon in Blyth now available
Tickets are now available to pre-book for Luke Jerram’s Gaia and Museum of the Moon, which will be presented together for the first time as part of Blyth’s Festival of Energy this March
The large-scale installations will be on display from March 5-8 inside the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s offshore wind testing facility in Blyth.
Audiences will be able to experience the seven-metre-diameter artworks - inspired by detailed NASA imagery - within a working industrial environment more commonly associated with testing some of the world’s largest wind turbine blades
Presented by Blyth Celebrates and produced by Walk the Plank, the Festival of Energy will animate Blyth town centre and quayside with a programme of outdoor performances, installations, films, talks and workshops.