All the Art and Theatre to Enjoy in the North East this July
There's so much going on across the North East
NEEDLE FELT UNICORN
1ST JULY
Arc Stockton Arts Centre
01642 525199
arconline.co.uk
Whether you’re a felting expert, or you’ve never picked up a needle, in this workshop you’ll create a cute felt sculpture with your newfound skills. Instructor Carol will provide all the materials and coaching needed and these workshops are known to improve mindfulness, whether you come along with friends or solo – and that’s always a good thing.
LAMPSHADE WORKSHOP
2ND JULY
Lanchester Garden Centre
lanchestergardencentre.co.uk
Head to Lanchester Garden Centre for their very first lampshade workshop to learn how to make your own 30cm drum lampshade to take home! All equipment will be provided but you must bring your own fabric – that way you can make sure it suits your home decor.
INK AND DRINK WITH AWARD-WINNING CARTOONIST SUZY VARTY
6TH JULY
Seven Stories, Newcastle
0300 330 1095
sevenstories.org.uk
Award-winning cartoonist and illustrator Suzy Varty is inviting you to get creative with ink. You might have seen her work alongside work by Trina Robbins, Phoebe Gloeckner, and Hunt Emerson. In the ‘70s, she compiled, contributed to and edited Heröine – the first anthology of comics by women to be published in the UK. You’ll learn plenty about creating art for comics – relax, sip a drink and have a go.
ALAN SMITH PAGE
UNTIL 8TH JULY
The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle
0191 261 1103 thebiscuitfactory.com
Alan Smith Page’s work, often including crowded streets and markets, shows his fascination with urban landscapes. Since the late ’60s he’s honed his skill using Magic Markers and watercolour. See his work including Barcelona Backstreet and Tuscan Vista at The Biscuit Factory this summer.
THEO HARPER: THE LIMINAL GUARD
UNTIL 14TH OCTOBER
Research Gallery, National Glass Centre, Sunderland
0191 515 5555
sunderlandculture.org.uk
Theo’s work is a playful combination of clay, 3D scanning, movement tracking and digital fabrication. In this exhibition he’s showing a selection of his ‘sculptural guardians’ that have evolved throughout his research.
GAIL HENDERSON
UNTIL 31ST OCTOBER
MIMA, Middlesbrough
01642 931232
mima.art
Artist Gail Henderson creates abstract self-portraits. In this commission on display at MIMA, each line is a ‘performance and expression’ of her inner state when she was creating the pieces. We love her works Sibilla 2012 and Salmacis 2012, which were acquired for the Middlesbrough Collection through the Tees Valley Response Collecting scheme.
GHOST OF METROLAND
6TH–8TH JULY
Main Auditorium, Live theatre, Newcastle
live.org.uk
Two teens are working their first jobs over a ‘90s summer at Metroland but a rift has opened somewhere just behind the out-of-order Slush Puppie machines and people are falling in. Even worse, other things have started to come out.
THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE
11TH–22ND JULY
Newcastle Theatre Royal
0191 232 7010 theatreroyal.co.uk
It’s far from a simple story, so you’ve really got to focus on this one. When a man returns to his childhood home, he finds himself beside the pond of the old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. Quickly, audiences are transported to his 12th birthday when his peculiar friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean. Their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them (Charlie Brooks’ character Ursula and a team of monsters). This show has been enchanting audiences for months and you won’t want to miss it. Read our review here.
KINKY BOOTS
25TH–29TH JULY
Newcastle Theatre Royal
0191 232 7010
theatreroyal.co.uk
Kinky Boots follows Charlie as he takes over a struggling shoemaking business. An unlikely hero arrives in the form of a drag performer and they work together to turn the factory around. Featuring music from pop legend Cyndi Lauper, this show is sure to have your toes tapping.
WIND IN THE WILLOWS
28TH JULY
The Alnwick Garden
01665 511350
alnwickgarden.com
You’re invited on an adventure this summer at the new outdoor theatre space at The Alnwick Garden. Mole ventures out to the riverbank and finds some new friends, but can they keep Toad out of trouble? With music by Christopher Madin, this journey through the seasons is a show the whole family will love.
