NewBridge Gallery is now closed until Friday 16 October.
You can join us on 5 September and 3 October for Saturday Social. You can still shop NewBridge Books throughout the weekdays!
Photographer, filmmaker and writer Michael Lawler visited Memory Café and offers a moving insight into its impact on the Shieldfield community.
Our collaboration with Jill from The Forum Cafe began in 2022, when our then Communities Producer, Elaine, met with her to learn more about the cafe and the past Memory Cafe sessions. Jill shared her passion for supporting people with dementia and socially isolated older adults, along with her hopes of reviving it. In response, Elaine proposed working together to bring the Memory Cafe back — this time with artists from NewBridge delivering monthly creative workshops.
“The Memory Café isn’t just a support group – it’s a defiant, creative, inclusive response to a world that often sidelines the vulnerable and the overlooked. Its resilience is found in everyday acts of rebellion, from serving tea out of door to insisting on china cups, and in the refusal to let anyone – neighbourhood or neighbour – be ignored.”
Memory Cafe is a drop-in afternoon tea and creative workshop. It’s a relaxed space to meet other people and try something new, where adults can socialise and unwind in a welcoming and comfortable setting.
“Every month, the tables are pushed together and draped with tablecloths, china cups and saucers replace everyday mugs, and the atmosphere shifts from the everyday to the special. This isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a statement that people with dementia deserve beauty, care, and a sense of occasion. It’s a subtle but radical act of respect.”
You don’t need any prior experience to participate in the creative workshops, and there’s no pressure to join in if you just want to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake. While the Memory Cafe is open to everyone, it primarily caters to adults with dementia and learning difficulties in the Shieldfield area.
The NewBridge Project is a charity, registered charity no. 1173849.
We are grateful to our funders, including Arts Council England, Newcastle City Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, Jerwood Foundation, Community Foundation North East, Newcastle University and the The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.
We are proud to be a Gallery of Sanctuary.
