Culture Digest 09.05.25
A round up of some arts and culture stories from across the North East which caught our attention this week
Newcastle to host Mercury Music Prize 2025
Following the city’s successful hosting of the MOBO Awards, the 2025 Mercury Prize will be held in Newcastle this autumn, marking the first time the prestigious music award has left its traditional London base.
The move offers a big boost for the city’s cultural credentials and follows a wave of recent investment and events that are helping to cement Newcastle’s status as a rising force in the UK music scene.
The Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ shortlist will be revealed on September 10, with the award ceremony taking place on October 16 at the Utilita Arena.
The event, open to the public, will feature live performances from many of the 12 shortlisted acts, culminating in the announcement of this year’s winning album.
The evening’s proceedings will be broadcast across BBC platforms while a week of fringe events will offer a busy run up to the awards.
New magazine champions working class writers
Actor and philanthropist Michael Sheen has been at it again, throwing his weight behind a new literary magazine and platform for working class writers.
Robson Green plays it dark for new telly thriller
Just weeks after The Feud - the Newcastle-shot drama on 5 starring Jill Halfpenny - came to an end, the North East - or at least one of its own - is back in the spotlight on the channel with The Game, a dark new four-part thriller kicking off Monday night (May 12).
Robson Green is starring opposite Jason Watkins in the mini-series, which sees the latter star as Huw - a retired detective still haunted by the case that got away, The Ripton Stalker.
When Robson - in the form of the seemingly charming, Patrick - moves in next door, an off-the-cuff remark triggers a spiral of suspicion which quickly unravels.
Robson has been doing his bit to help spread the word via his Instagram feed, posting an image from the series, adding: “I had the privilege and the honour of working alongside one of my favourite actors of all time,” referring to Jason.
The Game starts on 5 at 9pm on Monday - and then will be available to view on catch up.
The return of a show that defined a decade
George Caple missed out on the 1980s, having been born in the early years of the following decade, but he recalls an initiation into adulthood imposed by his father on Merseyside.
A preview of Boys from the Blackstuff, coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal later this month.
Don’t forget the arts, Chancellor
The Campaign for the Arts has launched a national petition urging the government to protect and invest in the UK’s cultural sector ahead of June’s Spending Review.
With arts funding under threat, the petition calls for long-term support - reminding ministers that thriving arts mean thriving communities, economies, and futures. Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so here.
Adolescence's Owen Cooper stars in Sam Fender's latest video
North Shields meets Netflix in a new creative crossover, as rising star Owen Cooper has been unveiled as the star of Sam Fender’s latest music video, Little Bit Closer.
Known by millions worldwide for his breakout - and first ever - TV role as Jamie Miller in the streaming platform’s record-breaking series Adolescence, 15-year-old Owen was pictured on Sam’s black and white social media teaser, wrapped in a blanket and gazing into the mist.
The video marks another team-up between the singer and the Adolescence crew, with Philip Barantini (who directed the groundbreaking series) back behind the camera.
Paddleboarding artist prepares for first solo show
Paddleboard, paints and the open sea aren’t your usual studio set-up - but for artist Anita Jazmin, it’s all part of the creative process.
Phoenix Theatre launches nationwide playwriting competition
The Phoenix Theatre in Blyth has announced a new playwriting competition, inviting UK writers to submit original, unproduced scripts for the chance to see their work developed and performed on stage.
Submissions open on June 1, 2025, with five winners receiving £1,000 to develop their scripts alongside the theatre’s creative team. One standout script will then be awarded a further £5,000 and staged in full at the 299-seat venue in 2026.
Operational manager Kyle Crook said: “This is a great opportunity for new writers to have their work seen on stage and performed to theatre audiences.
“The Phoenix is committed to supporting the new generation of script writers and we’re encouraging people from all backgrounds to submit their scripts and tell their stories.”
More information regarding criteria and deadlines on the website.
Meet the 'song detectorists' revising our understanding of music
A series beginning on BBC Radio 3 on Monday (May 12, 9.45pm) will introduce listeners to the ‘song detectorists’ – a group of researchers who have been unearthing musical gems from archives.
Rosie tasks herself with bid for Channel Four gameshow glory
Television viewers are being treated to the charms and ingenuity of North East performer and podcaster, Rosie Ramsey in the latest series of popular gameshow, Taskmaster.
The 38-year-old who hosts the record-breaking podcast, Sh***ed. Married. Annoyed with husband and stand up comic, Chris Ramsey, is one of five contestants in the 19th series, hosted by Greg Davies and sidekick/genius creator of the show, Alex Horne.
For the uninitiated, Taskmaster sees a handful of comedians compete in bizarre and creative challenges. So far Rosie has been seen attempting tasks featuring vinegar, raisins, peas, various liquids, a team task and lots more.
Fellow contestants are Fatiha El-Ghorri (Live at the Apollo), American comedian, actor and podcaster Jason Mantzoukas (Big Mouth), actor and writer Mathew Baynton (Ghosts) and comedian, actor and podcaster Stevie Martin.
You can see how she’s getting on so far on Channel 4 catch up, here.
Green screen to return to Newcastle this summer
Newcastle’s popular open-air cinema, NE1’s Screen on the Green, is back from June 30 to August 31.
Held at Old Eldon Square in the city centre, the programme kicks off with live Wimbledon coverage, followed by the Tour de France, and more than 100 films during the school holidays.
Highlights include toddler-friendly screenings, Tyneside Cinema takeovers, and blockbuster Thursdays. Details will be published on the website.
Dance and nature unite in The Alnwick Garden
A bonus for anyone visiting The Alnwick Garden later this month, and a very good reason for choosing to go on that day, is a special performance that has been long in the making.
Smoggie Queens at the BAFTAs - part two
Sending lots of ‘fingers crossed’ vibes to writer and star of Middlesbrough sitcom Smoggie Queens, Phil Dunning who is up for his third BAFTA in two weeks.
Teesside-born Phil was at the BAFTA Craft Awards (continuing our campaign to have them called the CRAFTAs) a fortnight ago where he was up for Writer: Comedy and Emerging Talent: Fiction.
On Sunday night (May 11), he will be back on sparkling form to see if he’s going to take home the BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy for his turn as drag delight, Dickie.
Filmed and shot in Middlesbrough, a second series of the BBC Three show has been commissioned and is set to start filming in the summer.
Festival promises the laughs this November
Newcastle Comedy Festival will take place from November 1–6, bringing a week of stand-up, sketches and surprises to venues across the city.
Run by Cal’s Comedy Club, based at The Chillingham in Heaton, the festival will feature a mix of familiar faces like Mick Miller and Angelos Epithemiou alongside emerging acts. More information on the website.
North East poet’s expanding Glastonbury portfolio
Since first performing at Glastonbury in 2011, North East poet and artist, Scott Tyrrell has been contributing to the festival’s artwork.
For the 2025 event, they asked him to add the poster for the Theatre and Circus area to his usual brief of creating an eye-catching lineup visual for the Poetry Tent.
He said: “It's been a genuine honour to be part of Glastonbury in multiple creative guises over 14 years - as poet, blogger, illustrator, poster designer and crew. As far as I'm concerned, it's still the greatest outdoor festival in the world.”
Scott will be returning to the famous festival site in Somerset as its Poetry Blogger at the end of June.
And speaking of Scott…
The Gap by Scott Tyrrell
With headlines filled again with the act of mindless vandalism which robbed the Northumberland landscape of a true natural treasure, we thought it was a good time to re-publish Scott Tyrrell's poem
New guide puts Northumberland in the spotlight
A new 100-page visitor guide to Northumberland has launched, offering tips on where to eat, stay, and explore.
The Northumberland Guide, produced by Offstone Publishing, is free to pick up across the region or download at northumberlandguide.co.uk.
Editor Claire Jeans said the guide helps readers “get to the heart of the county” through local insight and a suite of suitably stunning visuals.
Art and memory collide for powerful Miners' Strike exhibition
An artist has created 40 paintings during the 40th anniversary year of the 1984/5 Miners’ Strike depicting the County Durham landscape in the wake of the bitter dispute.
Just a flicker... then gold: singer’s wedding ring found after 20 years
Singer Kathryn Williams shared a lovely story on her socials this week.
Two decades after losing her wedding ring in the garden of her Newcastle home - and the frantic searching which followed - it only went and turned up !
Writing in an Instagram post, she said: “It became a myth, legend and a game to the kids, whenever they were bored I’d say ‘somewhere in this garden there is a gold ring buried’.
”Today taking out an old clematis that had all but died into a woody scribble , Neil was digging out the roots and I looked into the hole, saw something glint….. yes it was my original wedding ring! Magical unbelievable one in a million chance. 20 years in the soil!”
Lovely stuff!