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The Crack Magazine

Art

Ali Cook, Kate Sweeney: Being

‘Being’ is an exhibition bringing together two artists whose work employs the figure as a carrier and transgressor of narratives. Ali Cook’s work serves as an unfiltered exorcism of the current moment. Believing art – much like life – suffers from the same lack of connection that affects us as individuals, his recent work deals visually with this spectrum of isolation and co-dependency. Kate Sweeney’s work explores how familial bonds are formed beyond the materials and myths of blood and DNA. She utilises moments and materials from the everyday to focus upon the way bodies transfer and share information, emotions, feelings and histories.

Venue:
Vane, 65 High St, Gateshead, NE8 2AP
Date:
Mar 13th 2025 - Apr 5th 2025
Opening Times:
Wed-Sat 12:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Railway Firsts

An exhibition highlighting trains, objects and innovations, both famous and unexpected, that have shaped the railways. The exhibition will spotlight the pivotal innovations and unexpected ‘firsts’ that shaped the railways and our history, presented through a series of eye-catching pop-up displays, as visitors journey through the museum. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of family activities over the half term holidays on the theme of problem-solving.

Venue:
Locomotion, (previously Shildon Locomotion Museum), Dale Road Industrial Estate, Dale Road, Shildon, County Durham, DL4 2RE
Date:
Feb 15th 2025 - Dec 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

20:20 Print Exchange

Northern Print are exhibiting and selling original prints from the 20:20 print exchange, a huge annual print exchange project organised by Hotbed Press in Salford, Manchester. Every year, printmaking studios as well as print departments in universities across the UK and overseas are invited to participate in this ambitious project; each studio has to enter a number of artists who each have to print an edition (or set) of 25 prints all measuring 20 x 20cm. Every artist receives a selection of randomly selected prints from the project to keep and each studio gets a selection to sell. Prints are just £10 each with all proceeds going to support Northern Print.

Venue:
Northern Print, Stepney Bank, Newcastle, NE1 2NP
Date:
Mar 8th 2025 - May 3rd 2025
Opening Times:
Wed-Sat 12:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Stepney Western

Newcastle Contemporary Art is delighted to announce Stepney Western, an exhibition comprising a new film by Newcastle-based artist / filmmaker Harry Lawson. At the heart of Stepney Western is Lawson’s experimental documentary, made over the past two years in collaboration with a group of young inner city horse riders from Stepney Bank Stables in Newcastle. It is loosely centred on their Alternative Provision programme — a unique alternative for young people in Newcastle who struggle in mainstream education settings.

Venue:
Newcastle Contemporary Art, High Bridge Works, 31-39 High Bridge, Newcastle upon-Tyne, NE1 1EW
Date:
Mar 15th 2025 - Apr 27th 2025
Opening Times:
Thu-Sat 12:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Shakespeare Recovered: Durham's First Folio

In December 1998, the Durham First Folio, a copy of William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, was stolen along with six other items while on display in Cosin’s Library. For a decade, there was no news of the missing books and Durham University had to accept that the First Folio was lost. But the story didn’t end there. In 2008, a badly damaged book was brought to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. The book was presented to experts as a newly discovered copy of the First Folio that needed authentication for sale. Staff at the Folger quickly recognised the possibility that this book was in fact Durham’s missing copy and after verification it was returned to its rightful home on Palace Green. This exhibition tells the story of what happened next, exploring the work of our conservation team to make the First Folio accessible again. Visit to see a rare and important cultural artefact and experience a book as you’ve never seen one before.

Venue:
Palace Green Library, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3RN
Date:
Apr 4th 2025 - Nov 2nd 2025
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Sackcloth & Ashes | Bethany Stead & Amelia Frances Wood

Bethany Stead and Amelia Frances Wood present their first duo exhibition, Sackcloth & Ashes. This exhibition takes Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” as a starting point for both artists to respond. A pivotal text, which aims to challenge the narrative of human history, and suggests that the first human cultural devices were containers or pouches; for carrying, gathering and holding – as opposed to weapons of conquest and violence. Through their individual artistic voices, Stead and Wood explore ideas which shift and defy the anthropological focus on domination and consumption, towards care, cooperation and simply existing, further solidifying the notion that sculpture, drawing and image-making, can too, serve as containers of stories and ways of being.

Venue:
36 Lime Street, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ
Date:
Apr 4th 2025 - Apr 13th 2025
Opening Times:
Sat-Sun 10:30 - 19:30 , Mon-Fri 12:00 - 14:00 , Mon-Fri 17:00 - 20:00
Price:
Free

Railway Pioneers

In celebration of start of the S&DR200 bicentennial anniversary festival, three iconic locomotives will be on show in the historic Grade II listed Carriage Works right here at Hopetown Darlington. The locomotives are showcasing the advancements of rail technology in the early 19th century as well as the engineering innovation which led to the opening of the S&DR. These early locomotives were critical to future rail success, and Railway Pioneers is a unique opportunity to see them all in one place. The original preserved Locomotion No.1 will be returning to Darlington as one of these engines. This iconic engine, designed and driven by George Stephenson on the historical first journey in 1825, is an integral part of Darlington’s history, included both on the town’s coat of arms and the football team's crest. Joining Locomotion No.1 are two other classic locomotives - the Pen-y-Darren, designed by Richard Trevithick in 1804, and Steam Elephant, designed by John Buddle and William Chapman in 1815.

Venue:
Hopetown, McNay Street, Darlington, DL3 6SW
Date:
Apr 4th 2025 - Jun 22nd 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Consett in Focus

New work by members of Consett in Focus, a flourishing local photography group. Many of the images are for sale.

Venue:
Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH
Date:
Apr 5th 2025 - May 26th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
£10/under 18s £6/under 5s Free

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Main Protagonist

Slugtown are pleased to present Main Protagonist, a group exhibition featuring 9 artists from across the UK considering the power of theatricality, presentation and concealment. Artists in the exhibition examine ideas of staging; of what is shown as public, and what is kept private, and the fleeting moments where anyone can become the central character for a moment. Featuring work from Charlie Billingham, Lily Bunney, Emma Cousin, David Gardner, Natalia Gonzalez Martin, Grace Lee, Glen Pudvine, Janina Sabaliauskaitė, Cecilia Sargent.

Venue:
Slugtown, 44 Wretham Place, Shieldfield, Newcastle, NE2 1XU
Date:
Apr 5th 2025 - May 3rd 2025
Opening Times:
Fri-Sat 12:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs

Although Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) is best known for her paintings and her position as a highly respected figure in 20th century British art, this is the first exhibition dedicated to her relationship with the tradition of rag rug making. Appearing alongside the rugs, the exhibition will feature paintings, sketches and archival material giving a sense of Winifred’s creative life and career. There will be a making space within the exhibition where visitors can try their hand at rag rug making themselves, and a programme of events and activities to be announced.

Venue:
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TP
Date:
Apr 5th 2025 - Jun 15th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Adult admission (valid for 12 months) £15/Under 18s Free

Home and Howay – Letters and Post in the 18th-Century North East

Before emails and phones, letters were one of the only ways to stay in touch over long distances. Here at Newcastle Cathedral, we remember those who travelled the world, as seen in memorials around us. But how did people stay connected? This exhibition explores the rise of the postal system in the 18th century, a time when letter writing flourished. For Newcastle and the North East, letters carried voices across the sea, coal mines and trade routes. They reveal personal stories, business dealings and everyday life.

Venue:
Newcastle Cathedral, St. Nicholas Sq, Newcastle, NE1 1DF
Date:
Apr 7th 2025 - May 23rd 2025
Opening Times:
Sat-Sun 08:00 - 17:00 , Mon-Fri 08:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Jagged Edges

An exhibition of printmaking, poetry, and music created by and for survivors of church-related abuse. The artists draw on their experiences of abuse in church contexts to make connections between the story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and the experiences of those harmed in Christian churches. These survivors invite us to look at Jesus’ trauma and see his story as one of abuse and of God’s love for and solidarity with those who've been abused.

Venue:
Shieldfield Art Works, Formerly The Holy Biscuit, Opposite The Biscuit Factory, 1 Clarence Street, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1YH
Date:
Apr 9th 2025 - Apr 26th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Thu 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Sheila Fell: Cumberland on Canvas

The first major retrospective of Fell’s work in over thirty years. The exhibition brings together 100 works from private and public collections across the country from the likes of Tate, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy and Abbot Hall. The exhibition will explore Cumberland as Fell’s source of artistic inspiration, her childhood in Aspatria, her artistic development at Carlisle School of Art followed by St. Martin’s School of Art, Fell’s recognition as an important female artist, her relationships and her legacy.

Venue:
Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Mowbray Gardens, Burdon Road, Sunderland, SR1 1PP
Date:
Apr 10th 2025 - Jun 28th 2025
Opening Times:
Sat 10:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Fri 09:30 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Contemporary Print: Ade Adesina and Hugh Hamshaw Thomas

In the summer of 2024, Ade Adesina and Hugh Hamshaw Thomas took up a residency at Ushaw. The exhibition includes new work inspired by Ushaw and its collections. In collaboration with Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair.

Venue:
Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH
Date:
Apr 11th 2025 - Jun 22nd 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
£10/under 18s £6/under 5s Free

Ali Cherri: How I Am Monument

Ali Cherri works across film, sculpture, installation, drawing and performance. His practice is inspired both by archaeological artefacts and the natural world, exploring the temporal shifts between ancient civilisations and contemporary societies. Using artefacts as a starting point, he considers the links between archaeology, historical narrative and heritage, reflecting on the processes of excavation and the relocation and preservation of cultural objects in museums. His work addresses colonial histories, cultural loss, nationhood and different geographies of violence in his native Lebanon but also in the broader region, interrogating the ways in which political violence is witnessed, and disseminates into people’s bodies, and how it scars the physical and cultural landscape.

Venue:
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
Date:
Apr 12th 2025 - Oct 12th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

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Laura and Rachel Lancaster

A survey painting exhibition of works by Laura Lancaster and Rachel Lancaster. Identical twins and prolific painters, the Lancasters have carved out distinct painting styles and have exhibited nationally and internationally. This exhibition at Baltic will be the first institutional exhibition showing the sisters’ paintings side by side, and the exhibition location, in North East of England, where they were born and still live and work in their shared studio in Ouseburn, Newcastle.

Venue:
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
Date:
Apr 12th 2025 - Oct 12th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Andy Welland Artist Pop-Up Shop

This forthcoming pop-up shop brings artist Andy Welland’s signature bold celebration of colour, shape and form to Baltic with a range of exclusive products. Centred around the idea of creation through play - where play itself becomes a form of luxury and artistic language, these works invite viewers to explore this universal language as an entry point into Welland’s work. Through giant Plasticine reliefs, lipstick-thick oil finger-paintings, and energetic prints, his vibrant compositions reflect a joyful spontaneity that embraces both individuality and togetherness.

Venue:
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, South Shore Road, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 3BA
Date:
Apr 12th 2025 - Sep 28th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
Price:
Free

Charting the Course: Hartlepool’s Maritime Heritage

Discover the fascinating history of Hartlepool’s maritime heritage through an extraordinary collection of artworks, objects, and stories. This exhibition brings together ship portraits from the Under Steam Collection, featuring over a century of maritime history, alongside treasures from Hartlepool’s own collection.

Venue:
Hartlepool Art Gallery, The Tourist Information Centre, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ
Date:
Apr 12th 2025 - Jun 14th 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Kapwa: The Self in the Other

To be seen when we feel invisible. To be heard when our voices are lost in the noisy world around us. To feel understood despite the confusion surrounding us. This is a sense of belonging that we naturally yearn for. This exhibition focuses on the wider theme of what it means to be or to have uniqueness. By investigating the work of artists including, Eva Hesse, Charles Avery, Yves Klein and Sol LeWitt, L-INK have explored notions of visibility, value and originality. This brought into focus many questions:. What makes you stand out? How much do we show our unique qualities? What is uniqueness?

Venue:
Hatton Gallery, The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, 6 Kensington Terrace, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Date:
Apr 15th 2025 - Apr 25th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Sanctuary!

In medieval times, Durham Cathedral was known as a place of sanctuary, where criminals could find temporary refuge from the law. Discover the stories of people who fled to Durham Cathedral and find out about the famous Sanctuary Ring on the North door - how it became one of the key symbols of the Cathedral, and how it inspires artists today. See prints from 18th century, letters from royalty, commemorative items, registers of sanctuary seekers, manuscripts and the moulds used to create the replica Sanctuary Ring.

Venue:
Durham Cathedral, Chapter Office, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3EH
Date:
Apr 24th 2025 - Jun 29th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun 12:00 - 16:00 , Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Adult £7.50/under 18s Free

Connections

Photography by EDAN artists and Northern School of Art photographic students.

Venue:
EDAN Gallery, The Art Block, 74 Church Street, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 7HF
Date:
Apr 29th 2025 - May 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Tue-Fri 11:00 - 15:00 , Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Tracy Bidwell - Shadow Light

There is light, pattern and texture even in the darkest places, and in this exhibition I seek to reveal these hopeful details in everyday objects and places.

Venue:
Wild & Free Gallery, 3A Ilfracombe Gardens, Whitley Bay, NE26 3ND
Date:
Apr 27th 2025 - May 17th 2025
Opening Times:
Wed-Sat 09:30 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Tom Etherington x Jon Gray

A collaborative design exhibition between Tom Etherington and Jon Gray at the gallery. Tom Etherington is a book cover designer, graphic designer, and art director based in London. Tom specializes in design for print and publishing. After working in-house as a designer for Penguin Books in London, he became a full-time freelancer in 2022. Jon Gray designs and illustrates book covers for publishers around the world. His work is featured on the jackets of several authors you already know: Zadie Smith, David Foster Wallace, A.M Homes and Roald Dahl. Other clients include: Nike, Stussy, Hewlett-Packard, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Observer and the The Berlin Opera.

Venue:
The Old School Gallery, Foxton Road, Alnmouth, Northumberland, NE66 3NH
Date:
May 2nd 2025 - Jun 9th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00 , Sun 11:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

People, Places & Paddling: An Exhibition by Anita Jasmin

Anita’s creations are all inspired by the incredible beauty found in nature. This exhibition explores a variety of subjects; from portraits that capture the essence of character through expressive lines, to her playful approach with mixed media. Anita builds Layers of history with driftwood, ashes from burnt diaries, tea leaves or various other recycled items. Delicious colours of paint also dance and sparkle across the canvas to express her emotions and experience of the world around her.

Venue:
Arts Centre Washington, Biddick Lane, Fatfield, Washington, NE38 8AB
Date:
May 16th 2025 - Jul 5th 2025
Opening Times:
Fri-Sat 09:00 - 16:00 , Wed 09:00 - 17:00 , Thu 09:00 - 21:00 , Tue 13:00 - 21:00
Price:
Free

NHS Darkroom with Johannah Churchill: Come As You Really Are

Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art have teamed up with renowned photographer Johannah Churchill for 2025’s edition of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s NHS Darkroom. NHS Darkroom was launched in 2023 as part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s Arts Programme which aims to enhance the wellbeing and recovery of patients and staff across Newcastle Hospitals. For this iteration, inspired by the exhibition Come As You Really Are in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery, Newcastle Hospitals staff have been invited to share their own hobbies, crafts or collections which bring them joy, keep them well and provide a creative outlet.

Venue:
Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, c/o National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland, SR6 0GL
Date:
May 17th 2025 - Jul 5th 2025
Opening Times:
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Newcastle University BA Fine Art Degree Show 2025

The Newcastle University Fine Art BA Degree Show brings together the work of emerging artists at the culmination of four-years of study on the BA in Fine Art. The exhibition displays a diverse set of contemporary voices, practices and media including painting, new media, film, video, sculpture, photography, print, sound and installation.

Venue:
Hatton Gallery, The Quadrangle, University of Newcastle, 6 Kensington Terrace, Newcastle, NE1 7RU
Date:
May 24th 2025 - Jun 7th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 17:00
Price:
Free

Brick Flicks

From Wayne’s World to West Side Story, The Matrix to Mary Poppins, and Laurel & Hardy to Life of Pi, see classic movies in LEGO bricks in this exhibition of some of the most iconic and memorable film moments of all time recreated by Warren Elsmore, the well-known artist in LEGO bricks. Each familiar scene has been carefully photographed to mimic the staging and lighting of the original movie, but with the scenery, actors and actresses recreated with everyone’s favourite building blocks.

Venue:
Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NP
Date:
Jun 2nd 2025 - Aug 30th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

Cedric Morris: Artist, Plantsman & Traveller

Cedric Morris (1889 – 1982) was one of the most talented painters of the natural world in twentieth-century British art. Morris met his partner the artist Arthur Lett-Haines on Armistice Day in 1919 and in 1939 they established the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End, a rambling Tudor cottage in the Sussex countryside. Notable students at the school included Lucien Freud and Maggi Hambling and it was in the cottage’s gardens that Morris developed his lifelong interest in horticulture, subsequently becoming famous for breeding exotic varieties of Irises. This new exhibition explores Morris’ relationship with Lett-Haines and Benton End, his travels across Europe to find and paint new plant species and his lifelong affinity with the natural world.

Venue:
Granary Gallery, Dewar’s Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HJ
Date:
Jun 7th 2025 - Oct 12th 2025
Opening Times:
Sun and Wed-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
Free

The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists

A family-focused exhibition which celebrates the art of the Ladybird book artists from the 1940s to the 1970s. The display includes original art, audio visual elements and the centrepiece Wall of Books featuring hundreds of original volumes from the period. The exhibition is designed to engage younger visitors and to provide a dose of reminiscence and nostalgia for those who grew up with these classic works. A touring exhibition curated by Helen Day, Ladybird book specialist and enthusiast.

Venue:
Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, Woodland Road, Durham, DH7 9RH
Date:
Jun 28th 2025 - Aug 31st 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 11:00 - 16:00
Price:
£10/under 18s £6/under 5s Free

Dinosaur rEvolution

Coming this summer, the blockbuster Dinosaur rEvolution exhibition will bring animatronic dinosaurs to Carlisle. The show will also feature replica fossils, skeletons and detailed illustrations by acclaimed artist Luis V. Rey. Dinosaur rEvolution will turn your idea of dinosaurs upside down. The exhibition draws upon recent research and presents dinosaurs with all the spikes, quills, horns, feathers and bright colours we now believe they had. No more drab dinosaurs, these exciting appearances will be presented through amazing visual representations of these incredible creatures.

Venue:
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8TP
Date:
Jun 28th 2025 - Sep 14th 2025
Opening Times:
Mon-Sat 10:00 - 16:00
Price:
Adult admission (valid for 12 months) £15/Under 18s Free