Culture Digest 23.11.24
A round up of some arts and culture stories from across the North East which caught our attention this week
OK, before we get into it, some of you may have noticed that this week’s Culture Digest is a day late.
Apologies to anyone who has built it into their Friday night routine. Without boring you with the details, the delay was due to Sam spending upwards of 10 hours between Thursday night and Friday afternoon ‘talking’ to AI support chat bots about the quirks of Wordpress plugins and multi-currency functionality.
Now, if anyone is still awake, here’s this week’s arts and culture news round-up.
Sam Fender back for more at St James’
Such was the correctly anticipated demand for Sam Fender’s December gig at the Utilita Arena in his native Newcastle, a ticket ballot was put in place.
Even then, an outpouring of social media sadness transpired as thousands who had convinced themselves that winning a place in the ballot almost guaranteed them a spot in the arena realised they still had nowt to do on the evening of December 21.
Fans ‘demanded’ - as they are prone to doing these days, according to news stories designed to whip things up - a second date in the Toon.
And while none seemed to be forthcoming, Sam did promise there was something exciting in the offing.
He wasn’t joking.
Read more: A little look at The Little Mermaid - behind the scenes at the Theatre Royal panto
Magna Cartas to go on show for 800th anniversary
Three rarely-seen Magna Cartas will go on display next summer at Durham Cathedral.
The event will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the 1225 issue of Magna Carta n the cathedral's collection.
The exhibition, Magna Carta and the North, will run from July 11 to November 2, 2025.
On display will be the 1216 Magna Carta, along with issues from 1225 and 1300, and three Forest Charters - practical documents granting access to land and natural resources.
Stunning art by the late Lizzie Rowe goes on show in Sunderland
The artist Lizzie Rowe died suddenly just before Christmas 2023, leaving a body of work that is going on display at the Abject Gallery in Sunderland this weekend and until December 6.
More than 100 pictures – including large paintings, sketches and prints - are on show, reminding us of Lizzie’s colourful and unconventional life and of the fact that she was a wonderful painter with terrific technique.
Look out for Dave Whetstone’s report from the exhibition, coming soon
Region’s musical heritage to be celebrated in new show
The North East songbook will fuel a new production showcasing the music of the region.
Songs of the North East (if in doubt, make sure the tin accurately describes what’s inside!) will see concert and opera stars Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid perform songs and ballads dating from the 1800s to the present day.
Meanwhile the stories behind songs like Joe Wilson’s Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinny; Mark Knopfler’s Sailing to Philadelphia; Sunderland songwriter Eric Boswell’s I Waited on the North Dock; and the traditional Durham folk song Rap ‘er te Bank will also be told.
ITV sitcom being shot in Hartlepool
As stars of Smoggie Queens - a new BBC Three comedy - prepare for their big pink-carpet premiere in Middlesbrough this week… along the road in Hartlepool, another new sitcom is being filmed.
ITVX has commissioned Transaction, a six-part comedy created by and starring award-winning comedy performer Jordan Gray.
Joining Jordan on the castlist are Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, How To Train Your Dragon, Get Away), Doon Mackichan (Two Doors Down, Good Omens), Thomas Gray (Peacock, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder), and Francesca Mills (The Witcher, Boat Story).
The plot follows Liv (Jordan), a transgender egomaniac, causing havoc in the strange world of the supermarket nightshift.
Produced by Big Talk Studios, the production has received support from the North East Screen Industries Partnership, delivered by North East Screen.
Read more: Heartwarming Christmas show Present returns from the past
New Baltic exhibition signals the importance of welcome
A new exhibition on the theme of welcome highlights Baltic’s status as an official Gallery of Sanctuary, a designation earned and conferred in 2022.
It includes a variety of artworks made in collaboration with communities Baltic works with.
Called We all came here from somewhere, Annie Bedford, communities producer at Baltic and co-curator, explains that it “signals the importance of welcome for people seeking sanctuary and raises awareness about the unwelcoming nature of the UK asylum system”.
‘World class’ ballet booked for Dance City
North East audiences are being invited to lose themselves in Ballet Cymru’s Romeo a Juliet this December.
The acclaimed production, set to Prokofiev’s iconic score, promises to “unfold Shakespeare’s timeless tale of love and conflict with a striking blend of classical grandeur and contemporary flair”.
Anand Bhatt, Artistic Director and CEO of Dance City, said: “We’re excited to bring ballet to Dance City this Christmas, with the hope that it will become a cherished tradition for years to come.
Read more: The Professor and Paddington
Extra Arena date for Peter Kay
Tickets have gone one sale today (Saturday, Nov 23) for an extra date at the Utilita Arena from comedian Peter Kay.
Having already announced a performance on August 23, the record-breaking stand-up has added August 22 to his gig list for 2025.
Bookings and more information here.
Festival speaks to youngsters all over the region
Groundbreaking event, Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages will return in 2025.
Kids across the North East will once again be encouraged to dive into a cultural melting pot via a varied range of in-person and online projects, workshops and events celebrating the region’s diversity, ambition and inclusivity.
First staged in 2021 in response to the pandemic - and the related drop off in language teaching and learning - more than 37,500 young people, from the ages of three to 18, took part in the 2024 festival.
Read more: Writing about rocks and Romans
Durham Town Hall closed for restoration
The Grade II listed Durham Town Hall will close from this weekend in order that a restoration project can be undertaken.
Durham County Council will be carrying out essential repairs to Durham Town Hall to
restore and preserve the building, and artefacts within it.
Working with specialist heritage consultants and contractors, the work will include a number of repairs and improvements including the restoration of the Great Hall floor, returning it to the finish it had the Hall first opened in 1851.
The town hall, which remains the official office of the Mayor of Durham and the Mayoral Bodyguard as well as being home to the Durham City Freemen and Guilds, is expected to open between the spring and summer of next year.
Changing of the guard at Hexham Book Festival
Olivia Chapman has been announced as the interim creative director of the Hexham Book Festival.
Founding director, Susie Troup, who started the event in 2006 and has presided over its growth and success ever since, is moving into the role of strategic consultant.
Sarah Davy will also join the team as youth engagement manager - one of two new roles created to develop a county-wide programme of work for young people, supported by Arts Council England and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.
Susie said: “I am delighted that the festival that started as a germ of an idea in 2005, has now attained the national status it deserves and, thanks to the generous support of funders, has an exciting future ahead.
“It is especially gratifying that, as a result of new investment, the work with young people already supported by Northumberland County Council can continue to expand and thrive and reach more children and young people in the years to come.”
The full programme for Hexham Book Festival 2025 will be available at www.hexhambookfestival.co.uk from late February 2025.