Culture fans get a late night of treats

May 17 2008 by David Whetstone, The Journal

TONIGHT is culture night as 20 Tyneside venues normally closed after dark participate in The Late Shows. Late night opening was tried as an experiment last year and attracted 4,500 visitors to 14 museums and galleries in Newcastle and Gateshead.

“People voted with their feet,” said Bill Griffiths, of Tyne & Wear Museums, who runs The Late Shows project.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but we had people everywhere and such positive feedback afterwards, including lots of letters in The Journal asking us to do it again.

“It would be churlish not to give people what they want so we are doing it again, only this time we have 20 venues taking part and we have had more time to organise it.”

The Late Shows was inspired by a similar innovation in Europe and tonight’s after-hours opening coincides with International Museums Night.

But Mr Griffiths said the North East is unique in Britain in offering such an extensive range of attractions as part of its late night programme.

Among this year’s new attractions are the Angel of the North, as part of the sculpture’s 10th birthday celebrations, St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United, and the Castle Keep.

Newcastle art venues The Mushroom Works, 36 Lime Street, Globe City Gallery and Northern Print are also joining the scheme. Four free buses will transport visitors between the venues and one of them will ferry people between the Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead, and the Angel of the North, where people will be invited to light a candle.

Mr Griffiths said: “In many of the galleries there will be things on that aren’t normally, so people can try something different.

“Think of it as a cultural tapas or a culture crawl. We want people to try a lot of different things and to move between the various places.”

He added that it would be lovely for museums and galleries to be open in the evenings as a matter of course, “if the budget was there”.

Also opening tonight are the Hatton Gallery, the Laing Art Gallery, Waygood Art Boutique, Discovery Museum, Tyne & Wear Archives Service, alt.gallery, Centre for Life, Vane, Baltic, the Shipley Art Gallery, The Biscuit Factory, The Art Works Galleries, Seven Stories and nightclub World Headquarters, which is offering discounted entry to anyone bearing one of the glowsticks available at the other venues.

:: Participating venues are open tonight from 7pm to 11pm.

:: Pick up a programme or visit www.thelateshows.org.uk

Six of the best

Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle: To complement its current Love exhibition, you can enter a mini film set that records couples hugging, kissing or holding hands as lights dim and orchestral music plays.

Newcastle United Football Club: Join a guided tour of the dressing rooms, be filmed in the centre circle and visit the museum to see United memorabilia.

Waygood Art Boutique, High Bridge, Newcastle: Step into the Waygood Wood, a surreal artwork that is the setting for the work of visual and performance artists.

Centre for Life: If gin’s your tipple, this is your place. From 9pm, attend a special workshop on this very British of drinks. You get to taste different brands.

Castle Keep: Arguably Tyneside’s most atmospheric building is open for tours. Look out for Past Productions whose 20-minute performance introduces the ghosts of Shakespeare and Richard III.

Discovery Museum: See Wallace & Gromit in a screening of The Wrong Trousers (7.30pm and 9.15pm) and find out about brewing with Journal beer writer Alastair Gilmour (7.30pm and 9.30pm).