Culture Digest 13.02.26
A round up of the arts and culture stories which caught our attention over the past week or so...
Sunday for Sammy on the starting blocks
Rehearsals and final preparations are under way for the return of Sunday for Sammy this weekend, as North East stars descend on Newcastle for its 25th anniversary celebration.
The much-loved fundraising concert - affectionately known as the Geordie Command Performance - will take over the Utilita Arena Newcastle for two shows on Sunday, with both a matinee and evening performance marking the event’s long-awaited comeback after a six-year gap.
True to form, the majority of the line-up remains under wraps, with organisers keen to preserve the thrill of not knowing who will step onto the stage next. One name, however, has been confirmed. Musician Matty Healy - son of Sunday for Sammy founder Tim Healy and the charity’s new patron - will be performing.
He revealed his excitement during a Gateshead College masterclass before Christmas, hinting at what promises to be a memorable moment in the event’s long history.
Founded in 2000 as a tribute to the late actor Ronnie ‘Sammy’ Johnson, Sunday for Sammy has grown into a major North East cultural fixture, raising thousands of pounds for its Trust, which supports emerging performers and creative talent across the region.
This weekend, as soundchecks echo around the arena and final cues are called, the countdown is on for a milestone celebration.
Generator and Warner Music UK agree three-year partnership deal
A new partnership between the region’s music agency Generator and Warner Music UK is aiming to establish Newcastle as a hub for music industry development in the North of England.
The three-year agreement is designed to expand long-term opportunities for artists, producers and aspiring executives, while giving regional talent direct access to Warner Music teams typically based in London. The organisations will also work with colleges and universities to create clearer routes into industry careers.
The announcement builds on plans approved in November 2025 to transform the Grade II listed Coronation Buildings on Newcastle’s Quayside into a £1.8m recording studio complex, complete with podcast studios and editing suites.
Mick Ross, CEO of Generator, said: “Right now, the world is looking to the North. The creativity coming out of this region is extraordinary, and it deserves national and global visibility. This partnership deepens the link between our talent and the wider industry, making it possible for artists to build successful careers without leaving the region.”
Further details about Warner Music’s label activity in the North East are expected in Spring 2026.
A fun Northumberland Open draws a crowd to Woodhorn
The appeal of an open exhibition – all-comers welcome, amateur or pro, no theme – was again evident at Woodhorn Museum on Thursday night as the preview evening drew a big crowd, eager to see what the region’s creative folk have been up to.
The downside of a preview: all those people to obscure the view and offer up multiple social distractions.
The upside: all those people to chat to, a glass of wine, of course, but also a first chance to buy and see the red dot of ownership stuck beside the submission of choice.
It didn’t take long for the year’s winning submission to the Northumberland Open to get its red dot, some discerning soul proving to be as quick off the mark as a greyhound out of the trap.
Lumley goes large - music festival booked for historic setting
A County Durham castle perhaps better known for its history, weddings and medieval banquets is about to turn up the volume.
Lumley Castle will host its first two-day music festival, Opulence, on September 4 and 5 - though organisers ATA Events are keeping tight-lipped about who will be taking to the stage.
What has been confirmed is the shape of the weekend: Friday promises ‘80s and ‘90s superstars, while Saturday will be dedicated to house music. Two stages - the Lawn Stage and the Monument Stage - will be built within the castle grounds.
We also know that it’s happening over the same weekend as Lindisfarne Festival (Sept 3-5) which is going to leave North East music lovers with a decision to make.
Our Friends in the North anniversary marked with special event at Tyneside Cinema
Thirty years to the day since its original broadcast, the Miners’ Strike episode of Our Friends in the North will be celebrated with a special Q&A screening in Newcastle.
Writer Peter Flannery will return to Tyneside Cinema alongside actor Christopher Eccleston for what organisers describe as an unmissable evening reflecting on the legacy of one of British television’s most acclaimed dramas.
Following last year’s event, which saw Flannery revisit the first and final episodes of the series, this anniversary screening focuses on the seventh instalment: 1984.
Set against the backdrop of the Miners’ Strike, the episode places political upheaval and personal conflict side by side as the lives of four lifelong friends are reshaped by events unfolding across the country.
Newly acquired Lowry sketch to star in new exhibition
A recently acquired sketch by L. S. Lowry – yet more evidence of his love for the town – is to feature in a new exhibition called Lowry in Berwick, due to open this month.
Berwick was good for the celebrated artist, who visited many times from the 1930s until his death in 1976, always painting and sketching.
And there’s no doubt Lowry has been good for Berwick.
The town’s Lowry trail is a popular attraction and its exhibition two years ago, Lowry and the Sea, proved one of the most popular ever mounted at the Granary Gallery.
Small wonder that when a Lowry sketch with the title Spittal, Berwick came up at auction, The Maltings (Berwick) Trust decided to go for it and put in what proved to be a winning bid.
It is no more than a sketch, showing figures on Spittal beach and a boat, and it might have been the work of moments, but it’s another reminder of the deftness of Lowry’s hand – and although he was prolific, examples of his talent, when they become available, are always in demand.
The sketch, dated 1960, will be displayed at The Storehouse, a new exhibition space at Berwick Barracks, to mark the 50th anniversary of Lowry’s death and celebrate – once again – the artist’s love of the area.
Displayed alongside it will be two other Lowry works from Berwick’s Town Collection, Old Berwick (1936) and Beach Scene (1954).
Billy's back!
Billy Elliot the Musical will return to the North East next year as part of a newly announced UK national tour, opening at Sunderland Empire (where it last took the roof off 10 years ago).
Written by Newcastle’s Lee Hall, the original award-winning production will begin its tour on Wearside from November 4–28 before heading across the UK and returning to the West End for the first time in more than a decade, playing a limited season at Adelphi Theatre from February to July 2027.
Casting is yet to be announced, but we can’t imagine that will stop tickets going like hot cakes which have had a full power once around in the microwave when they go on sale on March 9 and 10am.
For peat’s sake - restoration projects reach anniversary milestone
The drive to restore damaged peatland in three northern counties has reached a 20-year milestone.
The work by the North Pennines National Landscape team in the uplands of County Durham, Cumbria and south west Northumberland has attracted national and international recognition.
It has covered an area of 50,000 hectares as part of the North Pennines wider nature recovery and conservation work, in partnership with landowners, land managers and local contractors.
And the team has brought in over £49 million in investment to improve the condition of the peatlands, through private sector finance, government funding and grant initiatives.
Restoring peat brings many benefits such as reducing the risk of flooding, filtering water, storing carbon and increasing biodiversity. Globally peatlands cover only three per cent of the Earth’s surface but store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.
The North Pennines is home to the largest area of adjoining blanket bog peatland in England.
Grant helps Durham Stick Makers preserve ancient craft
A funding boost will ensure that a heritage group will stick around to practise their craft.
Durham Stick Makers teaches and promotes the art of making traditional walking sticks, canes and shepherds’ crooks from timber, animal horn and antlers, a skill which dates back centuries.
The group meets twice a week at Fence Houses Community Centre and is the only one of its type in the North East.
A £1,836 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund will allow the group to acquire specialist equipment and will give them more capacity to accommodate new members.
The group’s 35 members range in age from the twenties to the nineties.