Culture Digest 10.07.26
Our regular round up of the arts and culture stories from across the North East which caught our attention over the past week or so
A quick note before we begin: you'll find this weekend’s Cultured. On Sunday newsletter a little lighter than usual this week as I’ve (Sam) stepped (skipped!) away for a couple of days to fulfil a lifelong ambition of wandering the grassy baselines of Wimbledon. As excuses for skiving off go, I think this one's fairly bulletproof. Normal service will be resumed next week. Unless Arthur Fery needs a perimenopausal public relations advisor.
JADE and Sam Fender honoured at prestigious Silver Clef awards
North East stars JADE and Sam Fender were among the winners at this year’s O2 Silver Clef Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall on July 9.
South Shields singer and former Little Mix star, JADE picked up the Best Female Award, while North Shields musician Sam was named Best Live Act at the annual event, which raises money for music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins. Read more
Stockton-on-Tees shortlisted for UK Town of Culture
Congratulations to sunny Stockton which has made the cut for UK Town of Culture, being shortlisted in the small towns category.
To be precise, it’s the town centre ward (population: 7,300) that’s up for the prize – against rivals Ilfracombe (Devon), The Isle of Bute (Firth of Clyde), Lerwick (Shetland), Sandown (Isle of Wight) and Strabane (Northern Ireland).
That’s a canny tour if you were to visit all six – as the judges will now have to do. Read more
Meet the cast of Our Friends in the North
Casting has been announced for one of the most eagerly awaited plays of the year – the new stage adaptation of Our Friends in the North.
Those old enough to have been engrossed in the epic BBC TV series of 30 years ago will remember that the four main characters whose tangled fortunes we followed were Mary, Nicky, Tosker and Geordie.
On television they were played by Gina McKee, Christopher Eccleston, Mark Strong and Daniel Craig, all of whom went on to become household names.
Due to play the parts at the Theatre Royal, where the show will open in October, will be Sam Neale, Ryan Nolan, Jack Robertson and Scott Turnbull – who, unlike their TV forerunners, are all from the North East.
Young 28 Years Later actor lands next leading film role
Newcastle actor Alfie Williams has secured his next major screen role following his breakout performance in 28 Years Later and its follow up, The Bone Temple. Both films were shot extensively across the North East.
Now the 15-year-old will travel to Seattle to lead independent feature film Friend Thing alongside Ryan Kiera Armstrong and comedians and actors Pete Holmes, Lewis Black and Adam Ray who have also signed on.
Set in Seattle during the spring of 1996 at the height of the city’s cultural influence, the coming-of-age drama will follow 14-year-old scholarship student Ernie Calder as he navigates friendship, first love, social pressures and family tragedy against the backdrop of the grunge era.
Filming on Friend Thing is due to begin next month (August).
Lights out at charity set up to promote northern art
New Light Art, the charity dedicated to raising the profile of contemporary art across the north of England, has announced its closure.
The decision follows an unsuccessful funding application to Arts Council England and comes three months after its art collection was auctioned by Anderson & Garland.
The charity was founded in 2010 by Annette Petchey to counter what was seen as the London-centric nature of the art world.
It was best known in the North East for its New Light Art Prize where artists with a northern connection were invited to submit work for the charity’s touring exhibition. Read more
From potential to production: North East film and TV industry delivers £88.5m boost to regional economy
For years, the North East’s screen industry story was often told in terms of potential.
The locations were here. The talent was here. The appetite was certainly here.
What was missing was the infrastructure and investment needed to turn occasional productions into a sustainable industry.
According to new figures from North East Screen, that picture is changing rapidly. The agency’s oven-fresh impact report says film and television production has generated £88.5 million in gross value added for the regional economy over the past four years, while creating the equivalent of 1,419 full-time jobs since 2022.
Production spend in the region has risen by 83% to £72.5m, while filming days have increased by 58% as productions stay longer and make greater use of local crews, suppliers and locations.
'Landmark' funding award for popular Tyneside venue
A half-million-pound funding boost for the Tyne Theatre & Opera House has been hailed as “a truly landmark moment” in its long, colourful and somewhat chequered history.
The Tyne Theatre & Opera House Preservation Trust has been awarded £522,011 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to progress its plans for the historic Grade I listed theatre, which it owns and operates.
It paves the way for a further application for £5 million to refurbish the theatre’s auditorium and create a second community performance space on the footprint of the adjacent former Westgate Music Hall.
This latest award of so-called phase one development funding is major endorsement of what’s proposed for the theatre, which dates from 1867, and recognition of its status as a nationally significant heritage asset.
With additional funding from the Trust of £220,380 the development stage budget will total £742,391.
Actors, writers and cultural leaders recognised by Northumbria University
Actor Jill Halfpenny, screenwriter Peter Straughan and writer Michael Chaplin are among the North East cultural figures set to receive honorary degrees from Northumbria University this summer.
The university has announced 14 honorary graduates for 2026, recognising contributions across culture, sport, science, business and education.
Gateshead-born Jill will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters in recognition of her work in television and theatre, which began as a teenager on Byker Grove and has since included an Olivier Award-winning stage career alongside roles in some of British television’s best-known dramas.
Fellow Gateshead native Straughan, who won an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA in 2025 for his screenplay adaptation of Conclave, will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters. The writer is also known for his work on Wolf Hall and for his long-standing support of the North East’s creative sector. Read more
Gosforth Civic Theatre raises a glass to 10 years with Beer Festival
A decade after opening its doors, Gosforth Civic Theatre (GCT) is inviting the community to celebrate one of its best-loved annual traditions as its Beer Festival returns for a special anniversary edition.
Running from July 31 to August 2, the three-day event will combine craft beer, live music, street food and family activities as part of the venue’s 10th birthday celebrations.
More than 30 guest beers will be available across 20 keg and 10 cask taps, alongside wine, spirits, soft drinks and low and no-alcohol options. Food will come from local favourites including Hizzys Pizza and Meat:Stack, while GCT’s own kitchen will also be serving throughout the weekend.
The entertainment programme reflects the venue’s broad community appeal.
Northumberland composer creates musical tribute to The Alnwick Garden
A new piece of music inspired by the sights, sounds and stories of The Alnwick Garden is set to receive its world premiere this month as part of the venue’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
Blossom, an original 15-minute composition by Thropton folk musician and producer Ian Stephenson, has been commissioned to mark the garden’s silver anniversary and will be performed by the Coquet Concert Band during a special outdoor concert on July 22.
Drawing inspiration from everything from flowing water to the famous Poison Garden, the work is built around four themes - Water, Busy Bees, Poison and Blossom - designed to reflect different aspects of the visitor experience.
Ian said: “It has been a pleasure to create this original composition for The Alnwick Garden’s silver anniversary.
“When working on the piece, I took inspiration from the elements that make the venue so enchanting for visitors. Coming to The Garden has always been captivating, and I wanted that sense of discovery to be reflected in the music.
Winners chosen to display work at Seaton Delaval Hall
Three winners of the North East Emerging Artist Award have been chosen and will display their work at National Trust property Seaton Delaval Hall in 2027.
The selected artists have reached this stage through a process involving a public vote in the spring - when the shortlisted contenders’ proposals were displayed in the stables - and a panel of experts.
The winners are Newcastle University graduate Otis Grove-White, Durham-based Joseph Marsh, who has a degree in illustration from Edinburgh University, and Sunderland University postgraduate student Claire Ong. Read more
Forks at the ready: Newcastle Restaurant Week dates served up
More than 130 restaurants have already signed up for what organisers say will be the biggest NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week in the event’s 15-year history.
Returning from August 3-9 in partnership with the Tyne and Wear Metro, the city-wide initiative will once again offer fixed-price menus priced at £15, £20 and £25.
Among the first-time participants are Cocochine, Kozle and 12 Muqam, joining long-standing favourites including Blackfriars and Dabbawal. Last summer’s event attracted more than 59,000 diners and generated £1.1m for participating businesses.
Woodhorn Museum shortlisted for national family-friendly award
Woodhorn Museum has been shortlisted in the Best Accessible Museum category of the 2026 Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award.
The annual awards, which are judged by families, celebrate heritage attractions that offer outstanding experiences for children and young people.
Woodhorn is one of five museums shortlisted in the accessibility category and will now be visited by undercover family judges over the summer.
Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager for North East Museums, said: "We're delighted to have been shortlisted for the Best Accessible Museum award.
“Accessibility is at the heart of everything we do, and we're committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive and enjoyable experience for every visitor. We'd like to thank everyone who nominated us and we're looking forward to welcoming the judges to Woodhorn over the summer."
Winners will be announced in October.
Laying the tracks of remembrance
A railway setting is to be created for a statue which commemorates a North East soldier and fellow prisoners of war who were enslaved by their Japanese captors to build a line between Burma and Thailand during the Second World War.