Culture Digest 27.02.26
Our round up of some of the arts and culture stories from across the North East, which caught our attention over the past week or so
North Shields unites for Team Janine as Sam Fender takes to the stage
A surprise appearance by Sam Fender in his home town helped turn a charity reunion gig into a bit of a viral moment - and a very memorable one in the room where it happened.
The superstar singer - up for four Brit Awards this weekend - joined his father Alan and brother Liam on stage at King Street Social Club in North Shields during The Pirates’ one-off fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease, held in memory of much-missed Whitley Bay woman, Janine Turnbull who passed away in August 2025 following an MND diagnosis.
‘Team Janine’ has committed to continue fundraising in her name until a cure for MND is found.
The 11-piece band, reforming after more than a decade, played a wide-ranging covers set as an auction boosted donations on the night.
All funds raised will go to SiTRAN via the MND Association, supporting frontline research into the disease.
Vivienne Westwood retrospective to open at The Bowes Museum in March
The Bowes Museum will host a major retrospective of Vivienne Westwood’s work this spring, bringing more than four decades of the designer’s output to County Durham.
Vivienne Westwood: Rebel – Storyteller – Visionary runs from March 28 to September 6 and focuses on designs produced between the early 1980s and the 2000s.
The exhibition will feature more than 40 ensembles alongside individual garments, jewellery, accessories and archival material drawn primarily from the collection of Peter Smithson. Additional loans will come from Manchester Art Gallery, Fashion Museum Bath and private collectors.
Staged across the museum’s Fashion and Textiles gallery and main exhibition space, the show will examine both the aesthetic and technical aspects of Westwood’s practice. The Fashion and Textiles gallery will be arranged to evoke a working atelier, with calico toiles and garments digitally deconstructed by Northumbria University’s Fashion Department to demonstrate her construction techniques, including bias cutting, pleating, screen printing and fabric distressing.
In the main gallery, the exhibition will adopt a chronological approach, with Westwood designs laid out from the mid-1980s to the protest garments from the early noughties. T-shirts and corsets will adorn the walls alongside paneling, paintings and mirrors from The Bowes Museum’s collection.
Signed Matty Healy album raises thousands for Newcastle music academy
A signed album by The 1975 frontman Matty Healy has helped raise more than £3,000 for a Newcastle music academy supporting young people.
While rehearsing locally for the recent Sunday for Sammy fundraising concerts at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, the singer (who is the son of North East actors Tim Healy and Denise Welch) signed a limited number of Record Store Day UK exclusive albums in-store at independent record store Beyond Vinyl.
One mint-condition copy, featuring a bold signature, was raffled to raise funds for Beyond Music Academy CIC.
Supporters were invited to enter the draw with donations of £5 for one entry or £10 for five. The competition closed on Wednesday with the winner, Kellie Baker from Tyne and Wear drawn live on Instagram.
The raffle exceeded expectations, raising £3,160 to fund studio sessions and create opportunities for young musicians in the West End and beyond.
David McGovern, founder of Beyond Vinyl, which you can find at the John Marley Centre, Newcastle, said: “We honestly thought this might raise a few hundred pounds, so to see it reach over £3,000 is incredible. Every entry will now help fund studio sessions and create opportunities for young musicians here in the West End and beyond.”
He added that the signing came about after Healy heard about the Academy’s work and kindly offered his support.
North East programme makers prepare for RTS awards
The Royal Television Society Awards for North East and the Borders take place this Saturday (February 28), celebrating the breadth of screen talent across the region.
Held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, the ceremony will honour work across 17 categories spanning drama, comedy, factual, news and children’s programming, as well as recognising emerging talent and leading production companies.
High-profile nominees this year include Robson Green, Sara Davies, Sheridan Smith and Brenda Blethyn, alongside a strong showing for regional indies and short-form makers. From primetime drama to grassroots factual storytelling, the shortlist reflects a sector that continues to grow.
The ceremony will be presented by BBC correspondent and Today Programme presenter Anna Foster.
Artist opportunity ahead of NOVUM Festival in Newcastle
Newcastle City Council has launched a call-out for a participatory artist to help build excitement ahead of NOVUM Summer Festival 2026.
The commission, titled Falling into Place, will see an artist or artist team design and deliver a community engagement project linked to Dominoes by Station House Opera – the festival’s headline finale.
Dominoes will culminate in a 2.7km breezeblock run through Newcastle city centre, creating a large-scale, one-day artwork shaped by public participation. The appointed artist will work with four community groups or schools near the route, leading creative workshops inspired by the festival’s 2026 theme of exploration and discovery.
They will also produce a downloadable family activity pack, designed to spark curiosity and encourage hands-on creativity at home and in community spaces.
The April to August commission has a total budget of £6,000, covering fees, materials and a small exhibition element.
The full brief and background is available here. Applications close at 12 noon on Friday 20 March 2026.
Tickets on sale for book festival’s anniversary year
The programme for this year’s Hexham Book Festival (April 24 to May 3) is live and available to browse as the Northumberland event prepares to celebrate its 20th year.
Founded as what organisers describe as “a wild idea and a dream”, the festival has grown into a regular fixture in the region’s cultural calendar, attracting audiences from across the North East and Cumbria.
This year’s line-up spans fiction, politics, history, poetry and science, with writers including Alexander McCall Smith, Val McDermid and Lee Child among those set to appear. Politicians Nicola Sturgeon, Penny Mordaunt and Chris Mullin are also scheduled to take part.
Tickets will be available to Friends from today (Feb 27), with general booking opening on March 2. All details available on the Festival website.
North East venues shortlisted in national Music Week awards
Two of the region’s independent music venues are in the running for the Grassroots Venue honour at the Music Week Awards 2026.
The Globe in Newcastle and The Forum in Darlington are both finalists in the Spirit of the Scene category – the only award partly decided by a public vote.
Which is where anyone who wants to support them can help. The public vote closes on March 10 at 5pm.
Organisers are urging supporters to vote before the 5pm deadline on March 10.
The Music Week Awards recognise every part of the UK music industry, from live venues to labels and radio. Winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London on May 7.
Haddaway and Write returns to support new work for the stage
A spring tour of new short plays will put emerging North East writers centre stage as Hooley Theatre revives its talent development programme for a third year.
The company, which was founded to make live performance more accessible to local communities, has confirmed the return of Haddaway & Write, an initiative designed to take new writing from page to production.
Delivered in partnership with Gala Durham and backed by Arts Council England, the scheme supports six writers through a structured development process before their work is staged as a single touring showcase.
This year’s edition will feature six short plays performed back-to-back, each rooted in life in the North East. The scripts were selected via an open call and have since been refined with professional support, before being handed to directors and actors to bring to life.
A call for actors to throw their talents into the ring is open until March 6. Find out more about applying here.
Seaton Delaval Hall key to Sir John Vanbrugh anniversary
Seaton Delaval Hall is to play a key role in Vanbrugh 300, a national celebration of the genius of architect Sir John Vanbrugh 300 years after his death in 1726.
The National Trust property, Sir John’s final architectural masterpiece, is one of six sites around the country involved in the tercentenary celebration organised by The Georgian Group which campaigns to save Georgian buildings and stimulate interest in the architecture of the period.
It has received backing for Vanbrugh 300 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Grade I-listed Seaton Delaval Hall, acquired by the National Trust in 2009, is said to exemplify the architect’s “visionary approach to form, space and spectacle”.
An exhibition called Vanbrugh 300: A Celebration of England’s Boldest Baroque will open in the property’s Central Hall on March 25 (running until October 18).
It will give details of Vanbrugh’s eventful life, his wide-ranging professional achievements and his lasting influence.