Posts by date: April 2015

Wor Life Poppy Project

As part of our Wor Life project, commemorating the role of the North East in the First World War, we have been involving schools, families and community groups in creating poppies in our venues.  The poppies have been interpreted differently… Read more

An Unusual Addiction

‘Betel nuts’ are one of the most prevalent addictive habits worldwide, along with tobacco, caffeine, and alcohol. ‘Betel nut’ chewing is actually the chewing of a mix of the areca palm seed (dried or fresh), slaked lime, and other additions for flavour… Read more

The Laing Art Gallery during the First World War

As part of the ‘Wor Life’ project we have been researching all our venues to see what was going on at each of them during the First World War. We’ve found some really interesting stories that we’ll be sharing over… Read more

Letters from Sir Flinders Petrie in the Hancock Archive

Guest post by Doug Henderson The name ‘Sir Flinders Petrie’ is a powerful one in Egyptology. His work helped turn the field from a profession for wealthy amateurs into a respected discipline and earned him the nickname ‘The Father of… Read more

A Cry from the Heart – Picasso, Guernica, and British artists

In this masterpiece painting, style and subject are completely united, with the jagged fragmentation of the face, thick black lines and harsh colours expressing the woman’s agonised grief. Weeping Woman is part of Picasso’s emotional response to the bombing of civilians in the city… Read more