Culture Digest 19.09.25
A round up of the arts and culture stories which caught our attention over the past week or so...
Take That book Circus return for Sunderland
Enduring pop-makers Take That are rolling back into Sunderland - complete with a full-scale revival of their bells and whistles Circus tour.
The nation’s favourite man-band have announced they’ll play the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
Needless to say their North East fans are up a height at the prospect.
Hartlepool film studios set for £33.5m expansion
Plans to expand Hartlepool’s Northern Studios into a major production hub have been given the green light.
The £33.5m development will see derelict buildings surrounding the site brought back into use to form the new Screen Industries Production Village, offering a mix of pre and post-production facilities.
Culture chiefs hope the scheme will give a huge boost to the North East’s growing film and TV sector.
Planning agents said the project is expected to create 131 jobs and could be “operationally ready” by spring 2028. Construction is due to begin in the coming months, funded by government investment.
The expansion builds on Northern Studios’ role as the region’s only large-scale film and TV production facility, strengthening Hartlepool’s place in the UK’s screen industry.
All dolled up for the Stockton & Darlington bicentenary
An army of dolls has inspired thousands of individuals to join in the 200th anniversary celebrations of the opening of a North East railway which helped change the world.
Organisers of the Stockton & Darlington Bicentenary festival distributed 22,000 peg dolls which people could decorate or craft to represent their own most memorable rail journey.
The ploy has proved a big hit, with 15,000 dolls being returned from across the UK and abroad after being taken to other countries by North East rail enthusiasts.
The dolls and their stories will be digitised to create an archive for the future.
Own a share of The Globe for £50
Music fans can now become joint owners of one of Newcastle’s most-loved grassroots venues. The Globe, already run as a cooperative, is inviting new members to buy in and help shape its future.
Shares start from £50, giving members a say in how the venue is run, as well as the chance to join volunteer teams supporting gigs, promotion, finance, bar work and more. Members can also stand for the board of directors.
Most importantly, every share supports The Globe as a community cultural asset. More details from the website.
Roll up for a 'theatrical treasure hunt'
In Blyth, according to Joe Hufton, there are stories aching to be told – and plenty of people prepared to help in the telling of them.
In the coming days, some of these stories will find an audience and perhaps help to change people’s perceptions of an aspirational town with a fascinating history.
Joe is artistic director of Alnwick-based Novo Theatre – formerly November Club – which was commissioned to create a theatre piece for Blyth Celebrates, the cultural springboard for an ambitious 10-year vision for the town.
The time between commissioning and delivery was tight, says Joe, or at least tighter than Novo Theatre was used to. But actually it came at a good time for the company.
“We’d identified Blyth as somewhere we were interested in working and where we hadn’t worked very much before, certainly not while I’ve been here.
“So the opportunity presented itself through Blyth Celebrates and we jumped at it.”
Community invited to join dance tribute as POPPY premieres on Remembrance Sunday
A new dance work will premiere in Northumberland on Remembrance Sunday - and local people are being invited to take part.
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) will unveil POPPY at Alnwick Playhouse on November 9, 2025, exploring themes of war, conflict and remembrance through contemporary movement.
Alongside the professional performance, a special community project - Sea of Red Dancers - will see adults from across the region join together in a 15-minute piece.
Inspired by John McCrae’s poetry and the symbolism of the poppy, the project pays tribute to those who have served or are serving in the armed forces, as well as their families and communities.
Participation is free and open to all adults, with a special welcome for veterans, serving personnel and military families. No dance experience is required.
Rehearsals take place at Woodhorn Museum, Ashington, on October 19 and October 26, with the community performance scheduled for November 1 at noon.
Registration closes on October 12. Details from the website
Rude Health Festival returns
Cambois is gearing up for the return of Rude Health Festival, a two-month celebration of radical performance, dance, film and community art. Running from October 3 to December 5, 2025 at Cambois Miners Welfare, the festival promises bold and ambitious work in the heart of south east Northumberland.
This year’s line-up includes choreographer Liz Aggiss, acclaimed playwright Alistair McDowall, Bolivian-British dance artist Yuvel Soria, and local favourite Alex Oates.
Kicking things off is AJAYU Transitorio (Oct 3), a colourful Day of the Dead-inspired performance complete with live percussion and a communal meal. Other highlights include Hexed! (Nov 15), exploring women’s experiences in the North East, and Aggiss’ fierce solo comeback Crone Alone (Nov 29).
There’s plenty for families too, with Unfolding Theatre’s Here Be Dragons (Oct 4) inviting audiences on a magical journey across the North East. Community exhibitions, local collaborations and school projects round out the programme.
“We’re proving you don’t have to go to London or Edinburgh for world-class work,” said joint artistic director, Alex Oates.
Full details and tickets from thetute.uk
Tanfield celebrates forgotten diesel pioneers
While the spotlight is on the 200th anniversary of the opening of the North East’s steam locomotive railway which changed the world, the region’s role as a leader in the early development of diesel and electric engines will also be celebrated.
The bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington railway, opened on September 27 1825, will be the centre of attention.
But a century later Armstrong Whitworth’s Scotswood works in Newcastle was exploring the potential of diesel-electric rail vehicles.
This weekend (Sept 20 and 21) Tanfield Railway, located between Gateshead and County Durham will stage the ‘Diesel Pioneers’ event.