Another Mercury moment for Newcastle
Eight hours at the Utilita Arena Newcastle, including two spent shoulder to shoulder with fellow content gatherers in a back room masquerading as a red carpet arrivals area, and I was still smiling on the journey home.
That should tell you something about the Mercury Prize 2026.
For the second consecutive year, the eyes of the music world were on Newcastle as the great, the good and the groovy gathered to celebrate 12 of the best albums released in Britain and Ireland over the past year.
It was quite the night.
Middlesbrough out of culture race but defiantly not down
So a town has been shortlisted to be UK City of Culture 2029, breaking the mould and (you would think) redefining the title… but unfortunately it isn’t Middlesbrough.
Few would begrudge Blackpool a break – a contender now alongside Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham – but it would have been good for Middlesbrough too.
A North East town that has had more than its fair share of crushing headlines has good things going for it that don’t always make the news.
In that sense Middlesbrough as UK City of Culture would have been good for the country, too.
Not that the town has lacked positive coverage recently, what with the football club riding high in the Championship in its 150th anniversary year, the Turner Prize being hosted at MIMA and TV comedy Smoggie Queens a live contender to be loudest, proudest thing ever on the BBC.
Sam Fender announces ‘Proper Massive’ return to St James’ Park
Sam Fender is heading back to St James’ Park for (at least) another two huge homecoming gigs as he prepares to embark on his biggest tour to date.
The North Shields singer-songwriter will play the home of his beloved Newcastle United on Thursday, June 3 and Saturday, June 5, 2027, kicking off a run of stadium shows across the UK and Ireland under the appropriately named Proper Massive Stadium Tour banner.
Dates in Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester and London have also been announced… an no-one would be surprised if more aren’t added once tickets go on sale.
Renaissance masterpiece finds a home in Bishop Auckland
A painting by one of the artists credited with introducing the Italian Renaissance to Spain has gone on display at The Auckland Project’s Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland.
The Marriage of the Virgin, by Paolo da San Leocadio (1447–c.1520), is a recently rediscovered panel from an altarpiece created in 1492 for the Church of Santa María de Castellón, near Valencia.
Its acquisition is particularly significant because Madrid’s Museo del Prado has recently acquired another painting from the same altarpiece, The Agony in the Garden.
Born in northern Italy, San Leocadio travelled to Valencia in 1472 under the patronage of Cardinal Alejandro Borja, who later became Pope Alexander VI. He went on to become an influential figure in Spanish art.
Morlin Ellis, research curator at the Spanish Gallery, said: “We are delighted that visitors to Bishop Auckland will now be able to discover this exceptional work and the beginnings of the Renaissance in Spain for themselves.”
Opened in 2021, the Spanish Gallery is the UK’s only museum devoted entirely to Spanish art, history and culture, with a collection featuring works by El Greco, Velázquez and Zurbarán.
Robson on his hopes for The Northumbria Mysteries
Robson Green looks well as he saunters into the Tyneside Coffee Rooms (as was) …. smiling, tanned and pretty fit, I’d guess.
Well, he’s been out and about – shooting a second series of Channel 5 drama The Game, with co-star Jason Watkins, in sunny Spain, followed swiftly by his new venture, The Northumbria Mysteries, set in some of Northumberland’s fabulous locations.
And this on top of all those outdoor Weekend Escapes and, I’d assume, as much fishing as he can pack in.
He’s not done badly for a miner’s son from Dudley.
And because I’ve been around a while too, I remember his early North East theatre days, performing in memorable productions of Rod Wooden’s gritty Newcastle drama Your Home in the West, staged at Live Theatre, and at Newcastle Playhouse (now Northern Stage) in CP Taylor’s wartime play And a Nightingale Sang, also set on Tyneside.
After expressing gleeful surprise that we’re both still alive – he always was a cheeky bugger – he proceeds to tell me about this latest addition to his CV, a BBC daytime crime drama made by North East production company Lonesome Pine and for which there are high hopes.
Calling funny writers who can follow Bridget Jones
Could you be the next Bridget Jones – or at least come up with something (or someone) just as comical?
A new prize to find distinctive new comedy writing voices from the north of England has been announced to mark the 40th anniversary of The Independent.
It is to be judged by Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding along with representatives from her agents, Aitken Alexander Associates, and Newcastle-based New Writing North which is managing the competition. Read more
On your marks, get set, HOWAY!
Northumberland Street will welcome competitive runners for the first time in more than 40 years when Newcastle’s HogmanHOWAY 5K returns on New Year’s Eve.
Organisers have unveiled a revised route for the event, which made its debut last December and is doubling its capacity to 3,000 participants.
Starting at 7.30pm on December 31 at the junction of St Mary’s Place and College Street, the race will take runners through the city centre, including Northumberland Street and parts of Northumbria University, before finishing on Ceremonial Way outside the Civic Centre. Read more
Geordie Bond gives Newcastle writer licence to thrill
A Newcastle comedy writer has taken a step towards seeing her work performed in front of thousands after winning the Clement & La Frenais Award at this year’s Sketch for Sammy competition.
Holly Johnson took the honours with Geordie Bond, one of six shortlisted sketches performed in front of a packed audience at The Exchange 1856 in North Shields.
Her prize means the sketch will now be considered for inclusion in the 2028 Sunday for Sammy arena show, affectionately known as the Geordie Command Performance. Read more
North East stories wanted for new audio project
A North East production company is looking for people with stories to tell about the region’s past and present for a new digital audio project.
Newcastle-based Candle & Bell is working with a music venue on the production and is inviting people to share personal memories and experiences.
Among those being sought are former Swan Hunter shipyard workers, people who worked at Monkwearmouth Colliery or witnessed its transformation into Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, and regular Great North Run participants with memories of crossing the Tyne Bridge.
The company is also keen to hear from anyone who remembers US President Jimmy Carter’s visit to Newcastle in 1977, when he was awarded the Freedom of the City.
Other subjects include life on the Northumberland coast and the experiences of people who moved to Tyneside from elsewhere and chose to make the region their home.
Those selected will be paid for their time, with contributions recorded as audio only, meaning no appearances on camera.
Anyone interested should email a short paragraph outlining their story to hello@candleandbell.com, using ‘Audio project’ as the subject line.
Academy dancer to keep students and staff on their toes
They’re waiting for a new school campus at Berwick Academy but in the meantime students will be encouraged not to let the grass grow under their feet.
A new dance residency for the current academic year, starting after October half term, has been announced by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust.
It will be led by dance artist Pagan Hunt, originally from Shropshire but now based in Gateshead, who is also a choreographer and facilitator.
The residency is part of an ongoing partnership between the school and the arts body aimed at bringing professional artists into the school community
Pagan is co-director of Pelican Theatre (with fellow dancer Ellie Bates) and co-creator of music and movement project Flip the Switch. She has performed with companies nationally and internationally.
As part of the residency, she will work with students and staff, using dance and movement to encourage creativity, build confidence and explore new ways of expressing ideas. Read more
Musical stars inspire next generation at The Glasshouse
North East band Knats were among the contenders for this year’s Mercury Prize, for their ‘Geordie jazz’ album A Great Day in Newcastle, and in the summer they were performing at a BBC Proms concert at The Glasshouse.
How did they get to such dizzy heights?
Largely by their own initiative, apparently, with two members, Stan Woodward and King David Ike-Elechi, declaring themselves self-taught.
“When we were starting out in Newcastle we worked a lot of it out for ourselves and there weren’t many places to go to meet other young musicians who just wanted to play,” say the band.
With that in mind they have teamed up with The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (the full title a timely reminder that it’s more than just a venue) to launch The Geordie Music Foundation.
This is a series of free monthly sessions for North East musicians aged 13 to 17, starting on January 24.
Stan, King and fellow band member Ferg (Kilsby) will work with up to 15 of them, helping them to develop skills and meet other musicians.
The idea grew out of the band’s wish to help young people find their way into music, providing a space they themselves never had.
Northern writers win Channel 4 career boost
Four writers from across the North of England have been given a significant career boost after winning this year’s Channel 4 Writing for TV Awards.
The winners were announced at Live Theatre in Newcastle on Thursday evening (October 22), with each receiving a £3,000 bursary, professional mentoring and a long-term placement with an established television production company.
Organised by New Writing North and funded through Channel 4’s 4Skills programme, the awards aim to help emerging writers develop their work and make connections in the television industry.
Among the winners is Geordie writer Lucie Brownlee, who is based in the Tees Valley and will join Merman, the production company behind Catastrophe, Motherland, Amandaland and Bad Sisters.
“As a Geordie writer, it means a huge amount to have this level of industry backing,” she said. Read more
A chance to take a pew
Bidders will have the chance to take home a piece of Durham Cathedral when 44 items of furniture and fittings go under the hammer next month.
Newcastle auctioneers Anderson & Garland will offer the collection in its Homes and Interiors Auction on Tuesday, November 3.
The lots include 27 pine and oak pews, eight oak uplighter lamps, five early 20th-century oak display or archive cases, two Victorian clerks’ desks, a 19th-century lectern and a pair of Georgian-style dining chairs.
The display cases come from the cathedral’s former dormitory, which later became a library and archive and now forms part of its museum.
Estimates range from £50 to £800, with pine pews expected to fetch £100–£200 each and oak versions £200–£500.
Anderson & Garland is donating its services, meaning the full hammer price of every lot will go towards supporting Durham Cathedral’s work.
Artists set to light up North Shields
Nine artists have been commissioned to create temporary artworks for Lowe!, a celebration of light and creativity coming to North Shields in 2027.
The artists will explore the town’s communities, architecture and hidden spaces through installations inspired by the theme of light.
Those selected include North Shields projection artist Jay Halim, North East poet and visual artist Lizzie Lovejoy (Gobby Lass), and North Tyneside collaborators Nicola Lynch and Sally Southern.
Other commissions come from Sana S Burney, Zoe Clifford (Slowslowzo), Sana Obaid, Beccy Ware and Harald Smykla.
Residents will also be invited to help shape some of the artworks through workshops and other activities. More information on the North Shields Cultural Quarter website.
Youngsters have their say on Hansel & Gretel
A pair of giant chickens and a witch wearing a dress covered in crocheted cakes have been among the talking points for young audiences getting an early look at a new dance theatre production in Newcastle.
More than 200 children from schools across the city’s West End were invited into balletLORENT’s studios at the John Marley Centre in Scotswood for a preview of Hansel & Gretel and the Witch, which opens at Northern Stage next week.
But the pupils, aged between five and 15, weren’t simply there to watch.
After seeing scenes from the production, they were asked for their opinions on how the show was coming together – and what they would change.
Young voices tell Seaham’s story
Youngsters have worked with artist Susan Warnock to create a booklet celebrating the history of a County Durham town as part of a regeneration project nearing completion.
The Our Town booklet by pupils from Trinity Primary School in Seaham showcases a blend of creative writing and illustrations, exploring topics such as Church Street, Seaham’s first school, the George Elmy lifeboat disaster, the wartime U-boat bombardment of the town and its artillery history, and Seaham’s prolific bottleworks. Read more
A fitting stop for Metro tribute
A plaque honouring the man who helped make the Tyne and Wear Metro a reality has been unveiled at Newcastle’s Central Metro station.
Professor Tony Ridley, who died in March aged 92, oversaw the system’s planning, funding and early construction as director general of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.
Nexus managing director Cathy Massarella said: “He paved the way for a system that revolutionised local public transport in the North East.” Family members attended the unveiling.
Mining memories under the hammer
A lifetime collection capturing the North East’s colliery heritage has sold for £25,000, including fees.
The late Bob Batey, from Dunston in Gateshead, built up an enormous collection of miners’ lamps and other pit items, which were sold by Newcastle auctioneers Anderson & Garland. Read more