10 ways to get back to culture this Easter

Cultural venues in Newcastle and Gateshead have suffered a drop in footfall since the pandemic, but a new season of events and exhibitions is kicking off, offering everyone a way to get back to culture this Easter.

Here are 10 highlights taking place this Easter:

1) Join an Easter Dance Camp: From 19 to 22 April, Newcastle’s Dance City is offering youngsters aged five to 14 the chance to learn everything from contemporary, street and break moves, to Bollywood and musical theatre dance. www.dancecity.co.uk.

2) Take a journey into space: Find out how we’re already using space technology in our everyday lives and discover how the future of space exploration is being shaped right here in the North East of England, in Life Science Centre’s Space Zone. www.life.org.uk.

3) Meet frog and friends: Tickets are flying out of the door for Northern Stage’s performance of Oi Frog & Friends, based on the bestselling books by Kes Gray and Jim Field www.northernstage.co.uk.

4) Meet the Romans: Newcastle’s Great North Museum: Hancock will transform into a Roman festival on 13 April, with the chance to taste Roman foods, hear Roman music, meet real life Roman people and take part in Roman crafts. Get your togas ready!  www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk.

5) Discover a story: On Wednesday 13 April Discovery Museum is inviting children aged three to five and their grown-ups to come and read the story Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory and get creative with a selection of bunny and chick-themed crafts. www.discoverymuseum.org.uk.

6) Immerse yourself in colour: Step into an extraordinary colourful world at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art with an exciting exhibition by artist Ad Minoliti. With colours this bright, you might just need shades! www.baltic.art

7) Make springtime crafts: In Gateshead the Shipley Art Gallery’s Family Arts Festival will involve hands-on making activities for children aged four and over, all inspired by springtime. www.shipleyartgallery.org.uk.

8) Explore art education: Newcastle University’s Hatton Gallery is hosting an interactive exhibition of contemporary art exploring art education movements from around the world. www.hattongallery.org.uk. 

9) Pursue your writing dreams: Always wanted to write a children's book? On 14 April author Richard O’Neill will hold a fun, interactive workshop at Seven Stories, suitable for aspiring writers of all ages. www.sevenstories.org.uk.

10) Experience Vivaldi’s Four Seasons live: Royal Northern Sinfonia will perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Sage Gateshead on Friday 22 April; experience the birdsong of Spring, the downpours of Summer, the celebrations of Autumn or the icy shiver of Winter. www.sagegateshead.com.

Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues (NGCV) is a partnership of 10 organisations including Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Life Science Centre, Sage Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.

Explore what’s on at all the venues via www.makeyourmoment.org.uk. 

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art Ad Minoliti Until 8 May 2022 Step into an extraordinary colourful world at BALTIC this spring with an exciting exhibition by artist Ad Minoliti. With colours this bright, you might just need shades! The fantastical free-entry exhibition includes geometric shapes, playful faces, floor to ceiling colour and paintings on quirky-shaped canvases and 3D objects. There’s beanbags too to have a lounge while you absorb the colour. Look out for the dog and cat people too. With no white walls in sight, it’s also perfect for a selfie to light up your Instagram. Free entry. Find out more at www.baltic.art.

Dance City, Temple St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4BR Easter Dance Camp 19 - 22 April 2022 Easter holiday dance camp is all about diversity! Children will learn routines and develop skills in Street and Break, Bollywood, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Dance camps take place in the beautiful Dance City venue in Newcastle – a safe, friendly and inspiring environment. Book at www.dancecity.co.uk.

Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JA Tiny Sparks, Wednesdays, 10.30am – 11.30am Spark your child’s imagination with stories about science and curious objects. At Tiny Sparks young children aged 3-5 can explore science and museum or archival objects each week through play, activity, song and rhyme. Book at www.discoverymuseum.org.uk.

Great North Museum: Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4PT Hadrian’s Huzzah! Wednesday 13 April, 11am – 3pm A full day of Roman-inspired activities in collaboration with the Hadrian's Wall Youth Ambassador team. www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk.

Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University NE1 7RU The Ignorant Art School: Five Sit-ins Towards Creative Emancipation 19 March – 21 May 2022 A contemporary art exhibition and event programme bringing together artists, designers, educators, activists, cultural workers, students and other communities to question what art education is and whom it serves now. www.hattongallery.org.uk.

Laing Art Gallery, New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AG Liquid Light: Painting in Watercolours 19 March - 13 August 2022 Liquid Light: Painting in Watercolours celebrates the rich quality and variety of the Laing Art Gallery’s watercolour collection, highlighting artists from the ‘Golden Age’ of watercolours such as Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Sell Cotman and Thomas Girtin, alongside 20th and 21st century artists. Many of the paintings selected for the exhibition are rarely seen, or shown on this scale, due to the light-sensitive nature of the medium. Book at www.laingartgallery.org.uk.

Life Science Centre, Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP Space Zone Open daily It’s easy to forget we live on a spinning rock that is whizzing through space. Space Zone brings space close to home: find out how we’re already using space technology in our everyday lives and discover how the future of space exploration is being shaped right here in the North East of England. Book at www.life.org.uk.

Live Theatre, Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DQ A to Gen Z (a compendium of youthful ideas) 2 April and 3 April 2022, 2pm Have you ever wondered what a young person is thinking? What are the dreams, fears, ideas, and pet peeves of Generation Z? After two years, Live Youth Theatre are back together, back on stage and ready to tell you what they think… Book at www.live.org.uk.

Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RH Oi Frog & Friends 21 – 24 April 2022 Live on Stage Based on the bestselling books by Kes Gray and Jim Field. Book at www.northernstage.co.uk. Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead Quays, NE8 2JR Royal Northern Sinfonia: Vivaldi's Four Seasons From 8 April 2022 8 April marks the beginning of an unforgettable summer season for Sage Gateshead, featuring six concerts showcasing the very best of Royal Northern Sinfonia’s talents. We’ll be celebrating the Platinum Jubilee with coronation music through the ages, experiencing all Four Seasons in one evening, and taking a musical tour of Vienna, we do hope you’ll be able to join us. Book at www.sagegateshead.com.

Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books Ask the Author (for all ages) 14 April 2022, 11am and 2pm Always wanted to write a children's book? Are you interested in knowing more about what it’s like being an author? Then come and join author Richard O’Neill in this fun, interactive workshop at Seven Stories. Suitable for all ages. Book at www.sevenstories.org.uk.

Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Rd, Gateshead NE8 4JB Family Art Festival 12, 14, 19 and 21 April 2022 Back for the school holidays, the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead will be running their Family Art Festival during the Easter break. The gallery will be hosting fun and creative activities inspired by the paintings, textiles, ceramic and glass artworks on display. Families will have the opportunity to make something different each session, all themed around springtime and linked to the Shipley’s exhibitions. Recommended for children age 4+ / £3 per participant. Book at shipleyartgallery.org.uk. 

Theatre Royal, 100 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR Singin’ in the Rain 3 –7 May 2022 Sam Lips, Charlotte Gooch & Ross McLaren along with Steps’ Faye Tozer as ‘Lina Lamont’ star in Jonathan Church’s critically acclaimed production of Singin’ in the Rain, making a splash in Newcastle in 2022! Book at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.

Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG Lucia Di Lammermoor, Met Opera screening  21 May 2022, 5.55pm Soprano Nadine Sierra takes on one of the repertory’s most formidable and storied roles, the haunted heroine of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, in an electrifying new staging by Australian theatre and film director Simon Stone, conducted by Riccardo Frizza. Tenor Javier Camarena adds to the bel canto fireworks as Lucia’s beloved, Edgardo, with baritone Artur Ruciński as her overbearing brother, Enrico, and bass Matthew Rose as her tutor, Raimondo. Book at www.tynesidecinema.co.uk. 

Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues (NGCV) is an alliance of 10 North East building-based producers and presenters representing most cultural forms and operating 20 venues and heritage sites:

• BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
• Dance City
• Life Science Centre
• Live Theatre
• Northern Stage
• Seven Stories
• Sage Gateshead
• Theatre Royal
• Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
• Tyneside Cinema

From 2009-19 NGCV hosted 39 million attendances at cultural activities and 8.5 million engagements in learning and participation, collaborating with 6 million children and young people. NGCV is also active and influential regionally, nationally and internationally.

NGCV work together to maximise the artistic and economic potential of the cultural sector in the North East by developing strategic and creative initiatives, sharing practice and resources and by being a strong collective voice.

The project has received funding from the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.  The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions are the managing authorities for ERDF and ESF funding through the Growth Programme, funds established by the European Union to help local areas stimulate their economic development.  By investing in projects the funds will help to support innovation, businesses, skills and employment to improve local growth and create jobs.  

For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.