Culture Digest 22.05.26
A weekly round up of some of the arts and culture stories from across the North East, which caught our attention
Sam Fender wins major Ivor Novello award
North Shields singer-songwriter Sam Fender has been named Songwriter of the Year at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards, cementing his reputation as one of the UK’s leading musical voices.
The annual awards, widely regarded among the music industry’s most prestigious honours because of their focus on songwriting craft, recognised the 32-year-old for what organisers described as his “sharp social commentary and emotionally honest songwriting”.
Currently sitting at the top of the singles chart with Rein Me In (duet with Olivia Dean - headlining at Radio One’s Big Weekend in Sunderland on Sunday) Sam, whose albums include Seventeen Going Under and People Watching, was praised by The Ivors Academy for becoming one of “the defining voices in modern British music and storytelling”. Read more
A Big Weekend for Sunderland (and thousands of music lovers)
The first pictures from BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend have been released as the North East welcomes one of its biggest live music events in years.
Around 100,000 people are expected to descend on Herrington Country Park, Sunderland across the three-day festival, which runs until Sunday (May 24) and returns to the city for the first time since 2005.
Tonight’s opening 18+ Dance Party (which is on the radio as I type) is headlined by Fatboy Slim, alongside sets from FISHER, MK and Sonny Fodera.
Saturday’s line-up will be led by Zara Larsson and Louis Tomlinson, while Sunday’s bill features headliner Olivia Dean (anyone taking bets on whether Sam Fender joins her on stage to perform Rein Me In?), CMAT, Niall Horan and Dermot Kennedy.
The New Music stage will also shine a spotlight on regional talent including Finn Forster, Heidi Curtis, Imogen and the Knife and Tom A. Smith. Lovely stuff.
RIBA honours North East’s best new buildings
The transformation of a historic walled garden from dereliction to a renewed productive life has made it one of the picks of a crop of North East architectural prize winners.
The Auckland garden, with its listed walls, is one of the five winners of the 2026 RIBA North East Awards, which is marking its 60th anniversary.
The garden is part of The Auckland Project, which is dedicated to the regeneration of Bishop Auckland through the arts, culture, and heritage, and also won the conservation award.
Other award winners included Locomotion New Hall (AOC Architects); Newcastle Courtyard House (Miltiadou Cook Mitzman and Musson Brown Architects) and The Limeworks (StudioNorth). Read more
An exciting new production and a popular revival in Horden
A big week looms for the actors of Ensemble ’84 – not that every week doesn’t seem to be a big week following the opening of the company’s new theatre in Horden last Saturday by Sir Ian McKellen.
On May 26 the company’s new production of Hamlet will open – or, to give it the proper First Quarto title, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet.
The company, still in its infancy under the direction of founder Mark Dornford-May, calls it “a gripping tale of grief, betrayal and revenge” and promises “a fresh perspective on the familiar story”.
It runs until June 6, the opening production in the newly converted theatre (formerly the village’s Roman Catholic church).
But the company has also announced the revival of its own, home-grown play, Pits, People and Players, for three performances from June 11 to 13.
It went down a storm at Ensemble ’84’s previous home, Horden Methodist Church, when it premiered there last August, telling the bitter-sweet story of the village’s origins and mining history.
It is back by popular demand and in this bigger venue more people will be able to see it, including those who missed out last time.
Find details of these and any forthcoming attractions online.
North East panto favourite Bob Stott dies aged 80
Tributes have been paid to much-loved North East comedian and pantomime dame Bob Stott, who has died aged 80.
Best known to South Tyneside audiences as Dame Dotty at The Customs House, Bob entertained generations of theatre-goers during a stage career which also included a long-running comedy partnership with Ray Spencer.
The pair performed together from 1974 until 2013 and became one of the region’s best-known comedy double acts.
In a tribute shared on social media, The Customs House said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Stott, who brought so much laughter, warmth and joy to our stage as our beloved Dame Dotty for over a decade.”
Ray described his longtime friend and collaborator as “unique and untamed”, adding: “We had fun and we laughed so hard it hurt.”
TV award nominations for North East productions
North East productions and creatives are among the nominees as this year’s TV awards season continues.
Voting is open for the National Television Awards 2026, where North East Production Fund-backed I Fought the Law is shortlisted in the New Drama category, while Sheridan Smith is nominated for Drama Performance. Newcastle-based FilmNova has also secured a nod for Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance in the Best Authored Documentary category.
Other North East notables in the mix include NTA fixtures and fittings, Ant and Dec (for a I’m a Celebrity… in all its forms, Accidental Tourist and their Limitless Win gameshow); Apple TV’s Slow Horses and Down Cemetery Road, which are both based on Newcastle writer Mick Heron’s respective book series; Pointless, hosted by Rothbury lad, Alexander Armstrong; Grantchester, starring Robson Green; Mortimer and Whitehouse, featuring Teesside’s Bob Mortimer; and Mark Gatiss for Bookish.
NTA voting closes at 11pm on May 29.
Meanwhile, the Broadcast Digital Awards shortlist includes CBBC series The Dumping Ground and BBC Writers’ Long Story Short, featuring Newcastle writer Alison Carr’s short film, Doppelgänger which was produced by Candle & Bell.
Baltic call out to region’s artists, amateur and pro
One of the most popular exhibitions at Baltic is the Open Submission, a chance which comes along every two years for artists across the region to show their work at Gateshead’s giant gallery.
It’s popular with artists – 1,400 of them submitted work in 2024 – and with visitors who enjoy the variety. Artworks by 104 artists featured in the exhibition last time.
The call has gone out once again for this year’s Baltic Open Submission, the third such event and supported once again by Fenwick, and artists have until June 16 to respond.
The Baltic team envisages an exhibition showcasing painting, sculpture, photography, video and other media by people who needn’t have been to art school or consider themselves professionals.
It’s an opportunity aimed at artists, makers, self-taught creatives and hobbyists based in the North East whose work might not necessarily have had any previous public exposure.
The selection panel this time comprises recent Baltic exhibitors Laura Lancaster and Rachel Lancaster, Will Hughes, Tees Valley Artist of the Year 2025, and Baltic assistant curators Rose McMurray and Rosie Coleman Collier. Read more
Young North East actress stars in new Rolling Stones video
The latest video from veteran rock stars, The Rolling Stones rolls back the years using ‘deep fake’ technology.
But there’s nothing fake about the appearance of 12-year-old Northumberland actress, Charlotte Pledger-Lowes who appears alongside the music legends.
Currently starring as the young incarnation of Lady Grace Cavendish in CBBC series, The Lady Grace Mysteries, Charlotte was one of just three children chose to appear in the video for In The Stars. See if you can spot her…
Miners’ Picnic to honour Woodhorn disaster anniversary
The annual Northumberland Miners’ Picnic, due to take place at Woodhorn Museum on Saturday, June 13, will be a day of culture, community and remembrance.
It will begin with the memorial service when Ashington Male Voice Choir, celebrating its centenary, will perform a special song commemorating 110 years since the Woodhorn Colliery explosion which claimed 13 lives.
Ellington Collery Band, Jayess Newbiggin Brass Band, Bedlington Community Brass Band and Ashington Colliery Brass Band will perform on the main stage and there will be performances by Northern Proud Voices, Northern Monkey Brass Band and Ladies of Midnight Blue in a programme compered by Bread & Butter Theatre Company. Read more
‘Archive artist’ opportunity open
The Vindolanda Trust is inviting artists to explore hidden histories as part of a new opportunity linked to its archives.
The Artist in the Archive programme will offer a paid research and development residency working with five previously unexplored visual and text archives before creating new work for exhibition at Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham in autumn 2027.
The opportunity is aimed at artists interested in archives, memory, discovery, preservation and loss, with material documenting changing landscapes and cultural connections to stone. More details here.