Arts

North Tyneside Council and its partners have been commissioning contemporary public art in the borough for more than 25 years.

Images can be seen in our North Tyneside public art photo gallery.

The North Tyneside Council Art Collection consists of 245 works, which fall into four categories:

• contemporary paintings and limited edition prints from the last 40 years
• oil portraits of civic dignitaries and local figures
• seascapes and landscapes by artists associated with the Cullercoats Artists Colony
• miscellaneous items

When North Tyneside Council was formed in 1974, we became the custodian of a disparate collection of works of art whose provenance, in many cases, was unknown or obscure. These were largely from the Victorian and early 20th century period.

From the early 1990s we also acquired a significant collection of contemporary artworks, through purchase and donation. There are nearly 90 of these pictures on permanent display at our headquarters. 

70 artworks from our collection can be viewed on the Art UK website.

For many years our aim in North Tyneside has been to make the Borough a great place to live, work and visit. The cultural life of the Borough is key to that aim.

In North Tyneside we have a fantastic programme of events, including the long-running Mouth of the Tyne Festival, combining high profile music with international outdoor arts performance. We are home to many independent cultural initiatives such as Whitley Bay Carnival, Iron Press and Jam Jar Cinema.

In Helix Arts we have the Borough’s only Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. We have the Playhouse, Whitley Bay with a fabulous programme of entertainment throughout the year. We have excellent museums at Segedunum in Wallsend, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site, and at Stephenson Steam Railway, reflecting the significant role of the Borough in the birth of the industrial revolution. At St. Mary’s Island we have the iconic and nationally famous lighthouse, a key regional symbol as well as a hugely popular visitor attraction.

Our partnership with the North East Combined Authority is bringing investment to support a more diverse town centre visitor offer, through the North Shields Cultural Quarter, while our wider regeneration programme across the Borough is ensuring that culture is at the heart of our thinking.

Across the sector there are many cultural organisations, tourism businesses, freelance workers, events organisers and volunteers who contribute to the rich cultural ecology we already enjoy in North Tyneside, supporting the cultural life of our communities. 

This cultural plan is the first step on an exciting partnership journey, following up on the challenges identified in consultation, to build on our existing strengths and to make sure that we have an outstanding offer that meets the aim of transforming North Tyneside as a cultural centre and ensuring we remain a great place to live, work and visit.

Chris Bishop
Arts, Museums and Heritage Manager

North Tyneside Council
Quadrant
The Silverlink North
Cobalt Business Park
North Tyneside
NE27 0BY

Telephone: (0191) 643 7413
Email: chris.bishop@northtyneside.gov.uk