Culture Digest 25.07.25
A round up of some arts and culture stories from across the North East which caught our attention this week
Signed, Sealed and finally delivered
More than two years after he was officially granted Newcastle’s highest honour, Stevie Wonder has finally received the Freedom of the City - not in a grand civic ceremony, but in a quiet hotel lobby in the early hours of the morning, following a headline performance in London’s Hyde Park.
The moment was the result of weeks of gentle plotting and decades of connection, orchestrated by Geordie TV exec Malcolm Gerrie, who has worked with music icon on numerous occasions over the past 40 years.
“It was just one of those extraordinary moments,” said Malcolm.
“We were sat in this plush London hotel, almost ready to give up. It was late, the show was over, security was tight, and Stevie was nowhere to be seen. And then the lift doors opened… and out walked Stevie, with his minder and Keith Harris. He came straight over, sat down, and we just talked…. I didn’t get home ‘til about 4am!”
Durham Book Festival 2025: Some events now bookable
A taste of what’s to come at this year’s Durham Book Festival is already available, with selected events now on sale ahead of the full programme launch in August.
Taking place from October 10–12 at the Gala Theatre and other venues , the festival promises a packed weekend of fiction, poetry, history and conversation at venues across the city - and online.
Events currently on sale include Mary Portas with her new memoir, I Shop, Therefore I Am (Oct 10); Jeremy Vine who will be talking about his novel, Murder on Line One (Oct 10); a work-in-progress catch up with mother and daughter authors, Pat and Anna Barker who are working on a memoir (Oct 11); and Hidden Histories with Lanre Bakare and Jake Morris-Campbell (Oct 11).
Visit the New Writing North website for more details and bookings.
BBC Proms: 'Round Midnight, The Fire Station, Sunderland
The Fire Station hosted Sunderland’s very first BBC Proms gig, an exuberant affair which strengthened the region’s partnership with the famous summer music festival and demonstrated – if it needed demonstrating - that jazz is a broad church.
With ‘Promenaders’ standing in the well of this versatile auditorium, as is the Proms tradition, BBC presenter and sax maestro Soweto Kinch welcomed a large audience.
A Proms gig is not quite like others in that it’s also an insight into broadcasting’s inner workings.
Always there’s the sense of two audiences, the one nudging up against you, trying not to spill its drinks, and the great unseen audience that’s out there somewhere – or will be.
Pippa's pet project opens at the Bowes Museum
Ceramic ornaments are fragile, brittle things – best kept on high shelves or safely away from curious young hands.
North East Film company takes viewers to daring heights in BBC One documentary
Middlesbrough-based Wander Films has taken to the skies in their latest BBC One documentary, The Ultimate Wing Walker, now available on iPlayer.
The film follows the world’s only formation wingwalking team as they prepare for their first big public performance of the season.
Viewers meet Kirsten and Dave - wingwalker and pilot - who once made a dramatic emergency sea landing mid-show, and now face their most ambitious stunt yet: The Heart Break. Alongside teammates Emma and Mike, they train with precision and resilience, racing against time and weather.
Filmed across Gloucestershire and Cornwall with stunning 360° GoPro footage on WWII biplanes, the documentary offers a rare perspective on high-speed aerial acrobatics.
Executive producers Chloë Clover and Lou Tonner said they were drawn to the team's energy and fearlessness.
The documentary, which has been broadcast on BBC One this week, is part of the Corporation’s Our Lives series.
Byker Grove is back: Iconic teen drama returns for streaming generation
The youth club doors are open once more.
Nearly 20 years after its final episode aired, the legendary North East teen drama Byker Grove1 is back - and for the first time ever, every twist, romance, and plot bombshell is available to stream.
Episodes of the ground-breaking series, which originally aired on BBC One from 1989 to 2006, are now streaming for free on STV Player, with ITVX set to follow later this year. The relaunch is part of a co-exclusive deal with Ant & Dec’s Mitre Studios, the production company now holding the rights to the show.
From the West End to Wearside: Curtain comes up on new college
A new performing arts college is set to open its doors in Sunderland, aiming to put the North East firmly on the map for professional theatre training.
Arts North Studios, based at The Fire Station in the city centre, launches this summer as a partnership between Culture Quarter and Sunderland College - and it comes with big ambitions.
At the helm is Annie Guy, a seasoned West End performer and choreographer with credits ranging from Hairspray to West Side Story.
Born and raised in the region, Annie says she’s passionate about giving young people in the North East access to the kind of high-level training typically found in London.
New voices, big names and radical stories for autumn at Live Theatre
Jimmy Nail is heading back to Live Theatre – closing out the venue’s newly announced autumn season with a one-off run of intimate gigs.
From December 2 to 13, the much-loved actor and musician will perform songs from his iconic 90s TV series Crocodile Shoes for the first time in almost 30 years.
Jimmy’s residency - which is likely to be one of the festive season’s hottest tickets - is a highlight in an eclectic season that brings together radical new voices, global collaborations, and local heroes - all rooted in Live Theatre’s enduring commitment to new writing.
Homecoming for historic Tyneside art collection
Tyneside couple Robert and Isa Jobling were among the leading artists who portrayed sea and fisherfolk scenes.
From their home in Whitley Bay, both were part of the artists’ “colony” which depicted life in the fishing village of Cullercoats.
Such was the popularity of their work that in 1890 a local newspaper commented: ‘Mr. Jobling has made Cullercoats famous for his canvases, and by-the-by he will be famous for overrunning the village with tourists’.
Now more than 40 works by the couple have returned to the North East from Canada and on Thursday they sold for a total of £16,000 in Anderson & Garland’s fine art sale in Newcastle.
Lottery award brings cheer to 200-year-old Lit & Phil
Newcastle’s historic Lit & Phil has received the perfect birthday present, support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help it secure its future and build and broaden its audience.
Coming as the venerable library on Westgate Road marks its bicentenary, the announcement gives double cause for celebration.
Development funding of £274,263 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help Lit & Phil trustees progress their plans to apply for a full National Grant of £4,583,016 at a later date.
Blyth celebrates: full line-up unveiled for town’s creative festival
From illuminated sculptures and puppet-making to choir performances and textile workshops, the full programme for Blyth Celebrates has now been confirmed - and it’s promising to be a wide-ranging showcase of local creativity, community pride and cultural diversity.
Launched at the end of June, the calendar runs from next month (August) through to March 2026 and now includes 38 new projects and activities, bringing the total to over 60 free events involving more than 50 artists, community organisations and cultural partners.
The unveiling of the finalised programme marks the next phase in the town’s year-long cultural celebration, forming a key part of the wider £95 million Energising Blyth regeneration initiative.
Good times are brewing at Gosforth Civic Theatre
There’s something about an English summer weekend that calls for a cool pint, the hum of live music, and the gentle buzz of community.
Picture it: children weaving through craft stalls with painted faces, couples sharing tacos in the sunshine, groups of friends clinking glasses to the beat of a soul band. That’s the spirit of the programme for the Gosforth Beer Festival - a vibrant, family-friendly celebration that aims to pour far more than just beer into the heart of its community.
Back for 2025 and promising to build on the successful outings which have paved the way, the popular event at Gosforth Civic Theatre (GCT) is set to run from August 1 to 3.
Theatre Royal welcomes audiences to The Green Room
The drama extends beyond the stage at Newcastle Theatre Royal as audiences will discover this week when the curtain rises on The Green Room, alive with puzzles and surprises.
They’re the work of bespoke wallpaper designer Beth Travers, who first visited the theatre as an enthralled 10-year-old little knowing the role she would one day have to play.
Taking its name from performers’ restrooms, traditionally known as ‘green rooms’, the new-look bar occupies the Market Street space formerly known as DatBar.
Lavishly refurbished, it opens first to audience members before welcoming all-comers on September 5.
Smoggie Queens are back on the streets of Middlesbrough
Filming for the second series of award-winning BBC Three sitcom, Smoggie Queens started on Teesside this week.
Created by, and starring, Middlesbrough’s own Phil Dunning, the series debuted last November and is brought to the region by production company powerhouse, Hat Trick Productions.
Mark Benton, Alexandra Mardell), Patsy Lowe and Elijah Young have all returned to the cast for another series of glitter-dipped chaos, laughs and heart.
It is expected the series will return to screens before the end of the year.
Where beats meets brews
In a city where music runs as deep as the Wear, two Sunderland institutions are joining forces to turn up the volume on local culture.
VAUX Brewery and Sunderland Music City have announced a new partnership, blending beer and beats in the pursuit of celebrating community, creativity, and shared pride in place.
At the heart of the collaboration is a brand-new pale ale - still nameless, for now - set to launch at the Sunderland Craft Beer Festival on August 22. The beer, a 4% session pale, will be poured at VAUX’s riverside taproom and stocked in venues across the region. But this isn’t just about what’s in the glass.
Come on the Lionesses!
England face Spain in the Women’s Euro Final this Sunday (July 27), with kick-off at 5pm.
In Newcastle, NE1’s Screen on the Green at Old Eldon Square will show the match live, with build-up from 4:35pm. If the weather plays ball, this sounds like a smashing place to gather and cheer on the Lioness lasses!
Underground hit: Victoria Tunnel tops Newcastle to-do list
The Victoria Tunnel has once again earned top honours, being named the No.1 thing to do in Newcastle upon Tyne in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travellers’ Choice Awards.
Managed by the Ouseburn Trust, the historic 19th-century wagonway turned WWII air-raid shelter continues to captivate visitors with its unique guided tours beneath the city streets.
“We are so proud to have received this award for another year running,” said a spokesperson for the Ouseburn Trust. “Thanks to everyone who's visited us and left a kind review, and huge thanks to our wonderful volunteer tour guides who help us make the experience so great!”
Visit the Ouseburn Trust website to find out more about the tours and book a spot.
Newcastle’s Andrew Cushin signs global publishing deal
Singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin has signed a major global publishing deal with respected independent publisher Notting Hill Music.
The Newcastle artist released his debut album Waiting For The Rain in 2023 and recently broke into the UK Top 40 with his follow-up, Love Is For Everyone.
Andrew headlined one of the nights at last year’s Mouth of the Tyne Festival and is on the bill alongside Robbie Williams, Kings of Leon, Perrie and Kaiser Chiefs at the Come Together Festival in Newcastle next month (August).