More than 20 studios and galleries from the Fish Quay to Howard Street open free on 26 and 27 September, 11am to 4pm. Maps are out from 23 September.

North Shields holds its first ever Open Quay weekend on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September. More than 20 venues and over 40 artists will open their studios, workshops and galleries to the public, free of charge, from 11am to 4pm each day (North Tyneside Council).

The event is the town’s first open artist studio weekend. Visitors follow their own trail through the creative spaces, from the Fish Quay to Howard Street and from Northumberland Street to Nile Street. Free maps can be picked up from The Glasshouse, Salt Market Social and Globe Gallery from Wednesday 23 September (North Shields Cultural Quarter).

What is actually on

The full venue list is on the Cultural Quarter’s event page, with accessibility notes for each space. A flavour of it, much of it clustered on Howard Street:

  • Sum Place, 101 Howard Street: a public art studio making large suspended sculptural commissions for civic and healthcare buildings across the UK. Drop in and watch the process. Ground floor, step free.
  • Ellie Land // The Limerence, first floor of 101 Howard Street: an animation director screening work, with a chance to have a go. Stairs only.
  • Brick This, Howard House, Howard Street, Saturday only: a studio tour with independent LEGO artist Steve Mayes, with loose LEGO out for children and adults to build with.
  • Tynemouth Photographic Society, 106 and 107 Howard Street: two exhibitions, one of members’ current prints and one of local history archive photographs, with prints available to order and tea and coffee on.

Across the weekend the council lists hands-on activities including pottery, printmaking, basket weaving, stained glass, children’s play sessions, animation and vinyl record pressing. Organisations using art to support mental health, recovery and inclusion are also taking part.

The event is funded by North Shields Cultural Quarter, a designated Culture and Creative Zone paid for by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and North Tyneside Council.

Charlie Gray, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development at North Tyneside Council, said: “This weekend gives people the chance to step inside those spaces, meet the creative community and see first-hand why North Shields is becoming one of the most vibrant cultural destinations in the North East.”

What it means for you

  • It is free, and no booking is needed. Turn up between 11am and 4pm on either day. A few venues run different hours, so check the programme for the space you most want to see.
  • Pick up a map first. The Glasshouse, Salt Market Social and Globe Gallery have them from Wednesday 23 September.
  • Going from Whitley Bay, the Metro is the easy way in. North Shields station is a short walk from Howard Street, and the coast line runs every few minutes on a Saturday. Times and fares are on our Metro page.
  • Taking children? Brick This’s LEGO studio is Saturday only; the play sessions, pottery and printmaking run across the weekend.
  • Accessibility varies venue by venue. Many spaces are step free, some are upstairs in older buildings. The event page lists access for each.

For more ideas this autumn, our things to do in Whitley Bay page covers the coast year round.

Sources