A Street Like This: by Alison Carr & Unfolding Theatre

A Street Like This, was commissioned by Unfolding Theatre and directed by its founding artistic director Annie Rigby. It premiered at The Fire Station before embarking on a successful regional tour and was a hugely collaborative affair, involving professional actors and volunteers from Sunderland and the surrounding area. There was a band, too, led by musical director Ross Millard of The Futureheads. Conceived before Covid and delayed by lockdowns, it told how a neighbourhood reacts to a sudden shocking event, not a pandemic in this case but a massive sinkhole in the street, and of the unexpected friendships that arise.

Laing Art Gallery and Ad Gefrin Visitor Experience & Distillery

Ad Gefrin agreeing to be headline sponsor of the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at the Laing Art Gallery was a perfect synergy. The Ad Gefrin Visitor Experience and Distillery, which opened in 2023 in Wooler, was designed to celebrate the Anglo-Saxon ‘Golden Age’ of Northumbria which was to spawn the Lindisfarne Gospels, as well as being a whisky distillery and showcasing the area’s art, crafts and produce. A forthcoming visitor attraction was therefore able to help an existing one. Dr Chris Ferguson, Ad Gefrin director of experience, said the partnership had been “a privilege”. There were more than 56,000 visits to the Laing exhibition.

Alphabetti Theatre

Under dynamic founder Ali Pritchard, who has now handed over the reins, Alphabetti has established itself over 10 years as a crucial part of Newcastle’s cultural ecology. Located on its current site since 2017, after empty offices were turned into a welcoming space, it continues to be a launchpad for aspiring creatives. Its supportive atmosphere and ‘Pay what you feel’ policy have helped to build audiences, particularly among people who feel priced out of other theatres. One award shouldn’t guarantee another but in 2023 Alphabetti was the first venue outside London to win Fringe Theatre of the Year at The Stage Awards.

People Powered: Stories from the River Tees at MIMA

What began as a collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, which loaned photographs during its London closure, turned into a wide-ranging exploration of storytelling focused on the River Tees. After three years’ groundwork, the exhibition opened at MIMA in Middlesbrough in July 2023 and ran until January 2024. It included portraits taken at Navigation Lock by Gilmar Ribeiro, a soundscape by musical duo A Man Called Adam, 60 artworks from the Middlesbrough Collection, a mosaic wallpaper made by Diane Watson working with schoolchildren and artworks by teenagers who attend MIMA’s Saturday Club and elders who meet weekly at the gallery.

Lizzie Lovejoy

Since graduating from the Northern School of Art, Darlington-born multimedia artist Lizzie Lovejoy has been an Artist of Change at ARC, Stockton, artist-in-residence in South Tyneside and at Durham University and a busy freelance illustrator, writer and project leader. Recently Lizzie led on Queer Shores & Seas, engaging with hundreds of people from Tyne to Tees ahead of physical and digital exhibitions. Fascinated by history, Lizzie also initiated Trailways focused on the Bishop Line railway linking Bishop Auckland and Darlington. Interviews, workshops and extensive research resulted in station artworks, a publication, an exhibition at Darlington Hippodrome and a celebration event.

Tall Ships Races Hartlepool 2023: by Hartlepool Borough Council

Hartlepool Borough Council put together a brilliantly diverse artistic programme which supported the arrival of the Tall Ships Races to Hartlepool in July 2023. Working with Hartlepool's performers, producers and artists, the Council created an immersive maritime experience during the Welcome Weekend, as well as a wider cultural programme exhibited across the town's artistic and heritage venues. A special mention goes to Jonny Hannah's colourful year long project and exhibition Shipbuilders and Fisherfolk which engaged many Hartlepudlians and local venues. The programme in its entirety brought to life Hartlepool's past and present, to shine a light on its bright, creative future.

Hamzeh Al Hussien

(represented by Amany Al Ayed & the team from Curious Monkey)

Hamzeh Al Hussien came to the North East from Syria via a refugee camp in Jordan where he first realised his gift for entertaining despite a lifelong disability. He told his story in Penguin, an engaging solo show produced by Curious Monkey, the region’s first theatre of sanctuary, which worked with him since he arrived in the region keen to make his mark as a performer. He did that with Penguin, a tour de force of storytelling and physical theatre that earned standing ovations and was a credit to himself and Curious Monkey, soon to wind up after a decade’s good work. 

David Nellist 

(represented by the team from I, Daniel Blake)

Wallsend-born David Nellist has had a busy spell on home turf, most recently bringing Dan in I, Daniel Blake to the stage under the eye of the man who played him on screen, Dave Johns. He did so brilliantly, captivating audiences with his portrayal of a good man struggling to negotiate the welfare system. Also, launching Live Theatre’s 50th anniversary season, he played salt-of-the earth Len in new play Love It If We Beat Them. And while it’s not strictly necessary to qualify for a Culture Award, he also raised more than £8,000 for West End Food Bank by cycling 350 miles.

Hadrian's Wall 1900 Festival

Hadrian’s Wall 1900, celebrating the 1,900th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of Hadrian’s Wall, took place throughout 2022. It featured a huge and varied programme of events along the 73-mile length of the UNESCO World Heritage Site between Wallsend and Ravenglass. One of the most eye-catching attractions was The Future Belongs To What Was As Much As What Is by artist Morag Myerscough who was commissioned by English Heritage to create a joyous reimagining of the gatehouse at Housesteads. The temporary artwork, comprising more than 300 panels and involving many volunteers, was visited by more than 42,000 people.

British Museum in your Classroom: by Middlesbrough Museums

If you can’t get to the British Museum, get the British Museum to come to you! That’s what a Middlesbrough Museums team did. Prolonged negotiation resulted in pupils from two primary schools being invited to choose an item from its collections as a catalyst for learning. A 3,500-year-old canopic jar used by the Ancient Egyptians in mummification duly travelled to Teesside. The children worked online with a British Museum curator and developed their own school exhibitions around the relic. Their work was later shown at the Dorman Museum. Seventy pupils then visited the British Museum on a first trip to London.

Dave Johns

Dave Johns was best known as a stand-up comedian until he became a ‘filum’ star after taking the lead in I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach’s hit film about the iniquities of the welfare system. He then adapted the story for the stage, making the play, which premiered at Northern Stage, a worthy follow-up to the film and updating it to reflect the cost-of-living crisis. Dave, from Wallsend, has been a writer for years, producing his own stand-up material but also writing for radio and, with Owen O’Neill, adapting the Stephen King tale The Shawshank Redemption for the main house stage.

B.O.P Fest: by Jack Drum Arts

The family-friendly BOP Fest was created by members of the youth board of Jack Drum Arts, based in Crook, County Durham, all aged from 14 to 18. It was designed to educate people about climate change and protecting the planet but in a fun way. Last year’s festival, the second, featured a range of activities including a parade, live music, street theatre and workshops such as stilt walking, making musical instruments from ‘rubbish’ and designing costumes for the parade. There was a lot of drumming and a sensory tent where people could relax. It attracted around 2,000 people.

Peter Mortimer

A writer, publisher and colourful denizen of Cullercoats. Type IRON Press into Google and many of the 1,270 million results will relate to the elimination of stubborn creases in trousers or shirts. But among them you’ll find the website of the independent publishing company which grew out of the poetry magazine Peter started in 1973. Peter came to the region to work on The Journal when Fleet Street was still his intended goal. But having fallen for Tyneside and been bitten by the literary bug, he quit to launch IRON Magazine. In a significant coup, the first issue contained a piece by New York poet Allen Ginsberg. Despite sacrificing his salary, Peter has never looked back, preferring to follow his instincts. IRON Magazine ran for 26 years and 83 editions, carrying the work of well over 1,000 writers, including Poet Laureate Simon Armitage whose first published poem appeared in it. Out of IRON Magazine sprang IRON Press, publishing books of poetry and short stories, including the first collections by David Almond and Voices of Conscience, an anthology of poems by victims of oppression. Meanwhile Peter kept writing and embarking on adventures which became books published elsewhere. He went to sea with North Shields fishermen and walked penniless across Britain. He chronicled his work with Palestinian children from the Shatila refugee camp in Lebanon. Peter established a festival in Cullercoats to celebrate IRON’s 40th anniversary and the 50th was marked this year with 50 poets gathering to read their work. And on top of all that there’s Cloud Nine, the theatre company he established in 1997, and his many whimsical newspaper columns. Through his words, he has touched many lives. 

Stella Hall

Now here’s one thing you should not say to Stella Hall at the end of a successful festival she has directed: “What do you do for the rest of the year?” Nobody’s better equipped than Stella to explain that a smoothly run event attended by thousands invariably follows months of planning. This vital behind-the-scenes work is where the creative producer is key. And Stella, throughout a long career in the arts, has proved to be a first class creative producer and strategist, rising to any challenge and invariably bringing out the best in others. She had already notched up many successes in the cultural sector when she arrived in the North East in 2005 as creative director of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative’s ambitious Culture 10 programme. This would include spectacular events, such as the building of a bamboo bridge over the Tyne and Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall, and festivals such as EAT NewcastleGateshead, Enchanted Parks and Juice, designed for children and young people. Stella left in 2009 to plan and direct the 2012 Preston Guild, a major festival that happens every 20 years in the Lancashire city; but later she returned to focus her energies on the North East again as founding director of the innovative Festival of Thrift. Thousands now flock to this annual Tees Valley event, described as “a free fun celebration of everyday living with upcycling, recycling and finding the sassiness in everyday living”. Not surprisingly, Stella has found herself in demand as a board member, sharing her expertise with organisations such as Newcastle-based D6 Culture in Transit, and as a lecturer at Teesside University. Through her consultancy work, she continues to mentor and inspire the next generations of creatives.