The NewBridge Project Gallery is currently closed.
Blazing New Worlds is a programme of commissions, events and workshops at The NewBridge Project which celebrates its 11th Birthday. Throughout the programme we will be releasing a series of open calls and funding opportunities, commissions by the artists Graeme Hopper (Grassi Art) and Cassie Thornton, and a residency with Slack’s Radio.
In these challenging times, we may be anxious, confused, scared; we may mourn, and we may hope: for that we have lost and for that which we yearn. The world that was seems gone, yet its memory is so near. It envelopes us every day with its familiarity, reacquainting us with what it was like before. We long to return to it, for things to be normal. But do we really want to return to how things were? We say no. We should not return to what led us here. We will look back, yes, to the paths we have taken, but we will use that knowledge to carve new trails, to new possibilities, to reimagined societies, in a Blazing New World.
This October, The NewBridge Project will celebrate its 11th birthday. We want to mark the occasion with our members and communities, bringing all together for a special series of events and creative discussions. Blazing New Worlds will explore the current and future roles of artist-led spaces within their communities, our own role in Shieldfield over the next 5 years, as well as the physical and political shifts revealed by Covid-19.
Launching in our new gallery space on Friday 22 October, there will be a series of new commissions by Graeme Hopper, Cassie Thornton and Lita Wallis, and a residency with Slack’s Radio.
The NewBridge Project wants to use this time to reflect and consolidate with as many voices as possible. We understand that impacts and experiences have been manifold. We want to listen and share, to come together and discuss the nature and future of artist-led spaces, acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, but working collectively to help one another.
Through this ongoing programme we will focus on three key areas Value Beyond Capital; The Practice of Care; and Surviving and Experimenting in Times of Uncertainty.
Through these three themes we will be launching a series of open call opportunities, and we want you to get involved! This innovative programme will create opportunities to meet, share, test and collaborate with as many people as possible. It is designed to grow and evolve on a reciprocal journey as it engages with a diverse array of voices and perspectives.
History shows us that pandemics can precipitate radical change. They open up moments of societal, political and cultural flux as citizens seek to redress the deep-seated problems of their times. Could artists, organisations and communities work cohesively to find those tools for change by re-evaluating and adapting our current models?
This will also be a chance for The NewBridge Project as an organisation to reflect upon its own achievements. Through this process we are prepared to open ourselves up for critique and want to look specifically at where we can improve. We want to ensure our programme is developed with integrity and is responsive to the needs of our artists and communities. This is of vital importance to us: establishing a career within the arts is more challenging than ever; and communities must unite in order to thrive. By responding to these three core themes, we hope to initiate a creative dialogue that will build on our core values, helping us to chart a new way that considers where we’ve been, but strives forward, together.
More information about Blazing New Worlds will be available soon. Please keep up to date with events and opportunities through our website and social media. If you have any questions or would like to chat further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We would love to hear from you!
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the project, please contact admin@thenewbridgeproject.com
22 October 2021 - 28 January 2022
Opening night: Friday 22nd October, 4 – 9pm
Exhibition open 22nd October 2021 –
29th January 2022
Open Wednesday-Friday, 12-5pm
And the following Saturdays - 23 Oct, 6 & 20 Nov, 4 & 18 Dec)
The NewBridge Project
Shieldfield Centre
4-8 Clarence Walk (off Stoddart Street)
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1AL
The NewBridge Project is accessible. You can find out more here, or feel free to contact us prior to visiting if you require additional information regarding access and facilities.
The NewBridge Project is supported by Arts Council England, Newcastle Culture Investment Fund, Newcastle University’s Institute for Creative Arts Practice and the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
