Farrell Centre

28/05/2026

17/04/2026

SIDE: Planned Space Lived Place

16 April – 28 August 2026

A display of work from the AmberSide Collection exploring northern New Towns and planned communities.

Planned Space Lived Place brings together photographs and artworks exploring New Towns and planned communities in the North East, with a focus on Peterlee, Washington and Killingworth.

Featuring works from the AmberSide Collection alongside work by InSide members, it looks at how these places have been imagined, built, used and remembered.

Washington in a Word…, 1984 ©Janina Struk courtesy of AmberSide Collection

14/04/2026

New Towns!

Lots of exciting things coming up as we celebrate New Towns:

Rethinking New Towns with Wayne Hemingway | Thurs 16 April

Join designer Wayne Hemingway in a discussion on New Towns – those that exist, those to be built, and those we might imagine.

Re: New Towns Symposium | Thurs 16 and Fri 17 April

A 2-day symposium organised by Newcastle University , where we address what a 'New Town' can mean today and aim to gather local perspectives on national planning policies.

We also have two exciting new displays opening this Thursday -
a project by Masters students from Architecture, Planning and Landscape at Newcastle University exploring the possibility of a new town in the North East, and a wonderful installation by Side Gallery documenting the impact of New Towns and planned communities on Killingworth, Peterlee and Washington - more to follow on this!

Looking ahead 👀

Little Builders | Fri 1 May

Little Builders will explore sculpture and art inspired by New Towns – from concrete hippos to Victor Pasmore’s abstract shapes! 🦛

Urban Explorers: Peterlee | Sat 13 June

Explore the merging of art and architecture in this walking tour led by artist and photographer Euan Lynn.

See our What's On page for all the info
https://www.farrellcentre.org.uk/whats-on/

11/04/2026

Thanks very much to for an insightful tour of Killingworth this morning. So many hidden gems to discover! We particularly enjoyed the concrete hippos.

Our next excursion in the Urban Explorers series is to Peterlee - check our website for details 🙂

03/04/2026

A cracking 🥚 - TV-am Studios, Camden, 1982

TV-am, or ‘Eggcup House’ as it became known, was Sir Terry Farrell’s bold and playful design for the home of the first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchise, which featured a Japanese temple, a Mesopotamian ziggurat and 11 rooftop eggcups!

Both the interior and the exterior of the building were dominated by bold colours, shapes and motifs. Farrell's team were given the opportunity to design all the furniture for the building, including some iconic Memphis -inspired chairs. The decorative eggcups placed around the roof – which cost £100 each – were so popular they soon become the brand image for the station, usurping the original logo!

21/03/2026

It's World Poetry Day!

Last autumn at the Farrell Centre we ran a series of poetry masterclasses titled City Poetry, hosted by poet Anna Woodford. Following Anna’s prompts, participants worked from the urban landscape, finding poetic inspiration in unsung places.

You can read some of the poems that resulted from the sessions on our blog (link in bio or use www.farrellcentre.org.uk/explore/city-poetry-original-poems-inspired-by-the-north-east)

Much of workshop facilitator Anna Woodford's work is inspired by the North East. Her poem Everything is Present is about rushing to see her mother in Freeman Hospital for the last time during lockdown. The poem is published in Anna’s latest book and was made into an animation by April Moreno Alvaraez for the Forward Arts Foundation, which you can watch here as a World Poetry Day treat :-)

20/03/2026

We’re excited to be introducing a new feature across our socials - . Each week we will be celebrating the work and achievements of Sir Terry Farrell, one of the UK’s leading architect-planners and the driving force behind the Farrell Centre.

This week we’re focusing on the Quayside Masterplan. 2026 marks forty years since the inception of the plan to regenerate Newcastle’s Quayside, which had fallen into decay and disrepair in the 1970s. Sir Terry Farrell oversaw the masterplan for the regeneration; a bold vision for reconnecting the city with the River Tyne which transformed the Quayside in to one of the most vibrant, iconic parts of our city.

Come and find out more about the Quayside regeneration in our new exhibition; Newcastle Quayside at 40. There’ll also be an opportunity to get involved in our Quayside Community Archive in the summer – keep an eye out for details 👀

14/03/2026

Many thanks to for a gorgeously sunny tour of the Byker Estate this morning - so many fascinating insights into the history of this colourful housing scheme!

Next up - Killingworth on 11th April. Check our What's On pages for details (link in bio) 🏩

19/02/2026

There's just one week to go until the launch of our two new exhibitions: Newcastle Quayside at 40 and Housing Standardisation.

The Farrell Centre and Muse Places invites you to celebrate with us at our public reception. From 6pm on 26th February, there will be the opportunity to explore the exhibitions, unique insights from our curators, and a drinks reception.

Please visit our website what's on pages to book your spot.

Newcastle Quayside at 40 celebrates forty years since the inception of the plan to regenerate Newcastle’s Quayside which had fallen in decay and disrepair. The exhibition explores the ideas and aspirations that shaped the regeneration plan, the individuals and organisations who drove them forward, and the circumstances that made the project such a success. Supported by Muse, developers of the Newcastle Quayside.

Housing Standardisation: Who Designs Our Homes and How Do We Live? asks what does a typical home in England look like? How does it compare to housing in other countries? How are these homes designed? And what is it like to live in them? Through photographs, models and plans, it considers how housing design is shaped by policy regulations, local cultures, and the expectations and lived experiences of residents.

14/02/2026

Urban Explorers is back! Availble to book now, our popular series of guided walks delves into the North East's urban past and present, hosted by photographer

First up is a two hour tour of the Byker Estate (Sat 14th March). During the tour, Euan will provide unique insights and historical context to Byker’s past and present, as well as offering some practical photographic advice to help you document the experience.

Tours of Killingworth and Peterlee are also open for booking - please check our website for details (link in bio) 🚶‍♂️🌞