A cultural extravaganza will
take place in Newcastle and Gateshead this summer, with staff and students from
Northumbria University supporting the festival through a wide variety of events
and activities.
The full programme for this summer’s
Great Exhibition of the North has been announced this morning. The free 80-day event,
which takes place from 22 June to 9 September, will tell the story of how the
North’s innovators, businesses, artists and designers have shaped our present
and how they are inspiring our future.
It is the biggest event
being held in England this year and Northumbria will be involved throughout,
with a wide variety of events and exhibitions focusing on art, design and
innovation and covering everything from healthy eating and nutrition to the
lives of volunteers in conflicts and emergencies.
The University’s annual REVEAL exhibition will also play a key role in
Northumbria’s involvement – showcasing the outstanding talent of graduates
across a range of courses, including Animation, Architecture, Interior
Architecture, Fashion, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Interactive Media Design, 3D
Design, Design for Industry and Interior Design.
Professor Steven Kyffin,
Northumbria’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business and Enterprise, is overseeing the
University’s involvement in the Great Exhibition of the North. He said: “This
is an ideal opportunity for Northumbria to tell our story within the context of
arts, design and innovation as an international, academically-excellent,
professional, business-focused university – and we definitely have a story to
tell.
“Rather than the traditional
industries of coal and shipbuilding, the festival will focus on the history of
ideas and the future of ideas, through art, design and innovation, and how here
in the North East we are doing new things in new ways.
“The focus for Northumbria
will be showcasing our innovation, through our design graduates and start-ups,
our computer science and gaming, our Business School, our nutrition projects
and more. We hope to use this opportunity to share our research, attract future
students and demonstrate how we are Taking on Tomorrow, becoming a creative,
innovation engine for both the North, the UK and the world.”
The Great Exhibition of the
North is a free event, hosted in NewcastleGateshead, on behalf of Northern
England. It is expected to reach an audience of three million people, including
more than one million visitors from across the UK and overseas.
Visitors will begin their
journey at one of three iconic venues – Great North Museum, BALTIC Centre for
Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead – before joining three interconnected
trails through 30 world-class venues and public spaces, on either side of the
River Tyne that celebrate the North’s achievements in art and culture, design,
and innovation – including Northumbria University.
Matt Hancock, Secretary of
State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The North is a hotbed of
creativity, with a proud history of innovators, businesses and artists that
have shaped how we live today. Not only will the Exhibition showcase this
incredible diversity, it will also boost tourism and deliver growth to the
region. It will celebrate what makes the North such a fantastic place to live,
visit, and invest in.”
The Exhibition will open on
22 June and will run under the headline theme ‘Get North’. As part of the
opening event, visitors will experience the UK’s largest water sculpture from
the Quayside, a brand new film about a journey across the North of England,
performances from Kaiser Chiefs and a live presentation by Lemn Sissay of his
newly created anthem for the North. The inaugural evening will also bring
together art, design, culture and innovation and will reveal content that will
be present throughout the 80-day exhibition.
On 9 September, the world’s
largest half marathon, the Great North Run, will form the centrepiece of the
closing weekend.
The Great Exhibition of the
North is expected to bring a £184 million boost to the North East, showing how
cultural investment can benefit and inspire entire communities.
Details of the Great
Exhibition of the North programme can be found here: www.getnorth2018.com
Photo
credit: Water
Sculptures, Get North Opening Weekend - Imagery by EYELEVEL
