Portraits with impact: Arcadea CIO and Debbie Todd at The Late Shows
As part of The Late Shows 2025, Creative Central NCL has commissioned bold, original work from three North East artists – one of which is changing the face of Waterloo Square.
Photographer Debbie Todd has partnered with Arcadea CIO to create a powerful series of window portraits that celebrate learning disabled artists and their creativity, placing them front and centre at the charity’s new city centre home.
Selected through a competitive open call by Creative Central NCL and The Late Shows, Debbie’s proposal stood out for its strong visual impact and clear alignment with Arcadea’s mission.
“As a disabled artist herself, Debbie has the lived experience to understand our studio artists,” says Natalie Frost, creative development manager at Arcadea.
“Debbie’s motivation to present marginalised communities positively, dramatically and in an age-appropriate manner drew is to her work.
“The experience of sitting for a professional shoot was a new experience for most of our members. We felt this direct approach to creating window vinyls would be memorable and increase the self-esteem of participants as well as portraying disabled people and the work we do at Arcadea beautifully.”
Over several sessions at Arcadea’s temporary base in Carr Ellison House, Debbie invited members of the Hub Studio and ICEbox youth club to take part in portrait shoots. Each participant chose a favourite piece of their own artwork to pose with, working closely with Debbie to express their personality through pose and composition.
The final result is a striking installation of 29 portraits displayed in the windows of Arcadea’s new headquarters, formerly Barn Asia, in Waterloo Square.
The portraits will debut during The Late Shows on Saturday, May 17, forming a vivid stop on the art trail between Dance City and the Discovery Museum. After the event, the display will remain in place throughout Arcadea’s building refurbishment.
Looking ahead, Arcadea plans to fully move into its new space by summer, establishing it as a visible hub for disability arts in the city.
Debbie Todd’s work with Arcadea is one of three Creative Central NCL’s artist commissions, happening in buildings which are opening to the public specially for The Late Shows (May 16 & 17).
The result of artist Imogen Cloët’s collaboration with Newcastle University’s BioKnit Team will be on show at The Coach House - a historic brick building near Charlotte Square.
The work is a ‘living bio sculpture’ developed by the BioKnit team, named Pupa, a mycelium-based installation that explores the intersection of textiles, biotechnology, and architecture.
Meanwhile visitors to Cobalt Central NCL will see the results of an artist in residence takeover of the Creative Central pop up shop outside Grainger Market.
Vikki Leaney, project manager for Creative Central NCL and Economic Development Officer at Newcastle City Council said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting new artistic initiatives for a second year at The Late Shows.
“Creative Central NCL is all about creating opportunities for artists and by partnering with The Late Shows it means their work can connect with the public in new and unexpected ways. This year’s commissioned artists are unique, thoughtful and fun. We can’t wait for everyone to experience them.”