Culture Digest 08.08.25
A round up of some arts and culture stories from across the North East which caught our attention this week
Hello!
Before we tuck into this week’s box of fun-size cultural chocolate bites, we just wanted to give you the heads up that we’re taking a short summer breather*.
So, there will be a (bumper) Curated Culture on Tuesday (August 12) and then no more newsletters until the week commencing August 25.
That said, there will be a steady stream of new stories popping up on the website, so don’t be shy - pencil us in for a regular online meander and get clicky!
See you soon
Sam (Wonfor) and Dave (Whetstone)
Like Chas and Dave but with more vowels and fewer pub singalongs
*I (Sam) am well aware that I’ve not long been back on these shores since my last Greek holiday… but that was a summer jaunt with Cultured. North East newsletters baked in - alongside my crispy shoulders. This one is very much an out of office - and on a Cretian beach - situation. Am determined to be 30% fig by the time I return.
Got two left feet? balletLORENT's dancefloor is OPEN
A Newcastle dance company is on the hunt for people whose moves are more heartfelt than polished.
balletLORENT is inviting awkward TikTok performers, extreme wedding boogiers, Dad dancers and after-hours kitchen disco stars to take part in its new pilot show – a celebration of the unique ways we all move through life.
Whether you’ve got two left feet or your freestyle has no identifiable style, you could find yourself sharing the floor with professional performers this November at the company’s studio in the John Marley Centre.
Twilight falls at High Force
There’s a new reason to stick around a little longer at one of County Durham’s most iconic beauty spots this summer - High Force Waterfall is staying open late.
For the first time, the circular woodland walk to the base of the falls is open until 8pm, giving visitors a chance to see the waterfall - and the surrounding Upper Teesdale countryside - in a completely different light.
It is thought the extended hours, which run until Sunday, September 7, will offer a quieter window to explore - whether you’re calling in after work, on a day out with the kids, or just fancy seeing a different side of the site.
More information and tickets: www.raby.co.uk/high-force
Durham Museum finds temporary home in city centre
Items from an extensive collection which tells a city’s story are going back on public show after their previous historic home closed last year.
For more than 50 years, the volunteer-run Durham Museum, which has also been known as Durham Heritage Centre, was based in the Grade I listed Church of St Mary le Bow, near Durham Cathedral.
The accredited museum has told the story of Durham’s history, with a particular focus on life in the city from the 17th century onwards. Durham Heritage Centre was established in the disused church, which closed in 1968, in 1972 and has been an important location to learn about social, cultural and economic life of the city, especially between the 18th and early 20th centuries.
But the costs of maintenance and repairs for the building proved too much for the Bow Trust, the charity which ran the museum.
Now, objects from the collection will be displayed in what was an empty unit in the Prince Bishops shopping centre in Durham, opening on Thursday, August 14, from 10am to 4pm.
Medieval secrets uncovered at quarry site
Soil stripping at a Northumberland quarry site has revealed evidence of a community living at the location up to 1,300 years ago.
During the operation at Divethill Quarry in Capheaton near Great Bavington, remains of around 10 timber buildings, pits and possible ovens or kilns are now being investigated by archaeologists.
Radiocarbon analysis has provided dates from the sixth to seventh centuries and a later date of the 11th to 12th century, shedding light on how people from the early to mid-medieval period lived and worked.
Step right up! Newcastle’s Quayside turns carnival for a day
Newcastle’s Quayside is getting a carnival makeover this weekend, as NE1 launches a brand-new family event full of colour, chaos and circus skills.
The first Quayside Carnival lands tomorrow (August 9), running from 11am to 3pm, and promises a day of free fun for all ages - from aerial performances and stilt walkers to slime-making, crafts and face painting.
The riverside will be taken over by roaming performers, balloon artists, and pop-up workshops in everything from circus tricks to museum-led activities. There’ll also be a Make and Take Zone, character meet-and-greets, and the chance to get glittered-up or stuck into a science activity, depending on your mood.
The event is a new addition to NE1’s Summer in the City line-up and is being delivered in partnership with circus company Let’s Circus.
“We’re thrilled to launch our very first NE1 Quayside Carnival,” said Rachel Fenwick, NE1’s head of marketing and events. “It’s a new highlight event in our busy Summer in the City programme, created to bring the Quayside to life with free, family-friendly fun for everyone to enjoy and get involved in.”
Some activities need booking in advance. Full details: ne1summerinthecity.co.uk.
Masterpieces return to Bishop Auckland
From George Stubbs to Thomas Gainsborough, some of the most celebrated names in art history are back on the walls of the Bishop Trevor Rooms at Auckland Palace - joined by a never-before-seen work.
On display now and available to view until early November, the highlights include Stubbs’ The Grosvenor Hunt, Gainsborough’s Wooded Landscape with a Milkmaid, Rustic Lovers and a Herdsman, painted during his final years in Bath, and a luminous landscape by Claude Lorrain, one of the most influential painters of his time.
The display also features a new addition: a portrait of an unknown man attributed to Stubbs early in his career, painted while he was living in York. This is the first time the work has been seen by the public.