Great North Museum: Hancock

26/05/2026

Hiya folks!

I’ve partnered up with the Great North Museum: Hancock to bring you a brand new course this summer! On Friday July 3rd, I’ll be teaching a beginner-friendly copper repoussé workshop at the museum, where you’ll learn how to chase sheet copper into beautiful raised designs.

Check out the link below!!

https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/greatnorthmuseum/whats-on/repousse-for-beginners

During the course we’ll take a 5" square of copper and cover:
• Chasing your design into the metal
• Annealing copper with blowtorches
• Sinking the work into molten pitch
• Embossing and planishing techniques
• Finishing and framing your piece in a beautiful oak frame to take home

You'll learn everything you need to know to make your own artworks at home!

We have over 200 designs to choose from, ranging from very beginner-friendly shapes to more intricate patterns for ambitious metalworkers!

This craft is ancient, beautiful, and deeply relaxing,
so be ready to lose yourself in the rhythm of the chasing!

There are only 6 places available on this course and, if it proves popular, we’ll hopefully run more in the future. If you can’t make this date but would be interested in a future workshop, drop a comment below!

21/05/2026

✨ Community Performer Call Out ✨

✨ Beats, Cycles & Song - Community Performer Call Out ✨

Want to be part of something powerful, joyful and collaborative this summer? 💫

Beats, Cycles & Song is an immersive live performance coming to , bringing together three global music traditions through rhythm, movement and live performance:

🥁 Carnatic (South Indian classical) percussion
🌍 Afro-music
🎶 Northeast folk music

Co-created with Newcastle communities, the piece unfolds as a live conversation between musicians and movement artists, building a shared pulse that celebrates connection, culture, rhythm and belonging.

The team behind it are looking for people aged 18+ from the Global Majority to join the project as community performers.

You’ll:
✨ Take part in three creative movement workshops with artists Amy Becke and Divya Sharma at Dance City and DiverCity Hub
✨ Attend an on-site rehearsal at Great North Museum: Hancock
✨ Perform as part of Beats, Cycles & Song at NOVUM Summer Festival on Saturday 8 August

No dance or performance experience needed; just curiosity, openness and a willingness to have a go!

Why get involved?

🌱 Build confidence and try something new
🤝 Meet new people and connect with your community
🎭 Be part of a professional festival performance
🎶 Explore movement, music and cultural exchange in a welcoming environment
💫 Share in a joyful collective experience of creativity and belonging

To request more information or express an interest, email:
📧 [email protected]

15/05/2026

📣 What would best support growth and opportunity in the North East’s cultural and creative sector? What challenges do we need to tackle together?

Join Newcastle Culture Partnership for a consultation event on the North East Combined Authority (NECA) draft Culture, Creative Industries & Sport Strategic Plan.

🗓 Tuesday 2 June
⏰ 2–4pm
📍 Clore Suite, Great North Museum: Hancock
🎟 Free admission – booking essential

Hosted by Keith Merrin and Annie Rigby, with Sarah Hughes from NECA, this relaxed two-hour session is an opportunity for artists, freelancers, cultural organisations, organisational leaders, venue staff in all roles and community practitioners to hear about the draft strategy, ask questions and share perspectives from across Newcastle’s cultural sector.

Ten £75 bursaries are available for freelance artists and community practitioners. Email [email protected] for details.

More info and booking details - https://www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/whatson/2026/6/2/newcastle-culture-partnership-north-east-combined-authority-neca-consultation-event

Image - Von Fox Promotions

12/05/2026

06/05/2026

So, let's answer the question: What is a hoard?

It's a group of objects, often valuable, kept together. They can be brought together all at once or gradually accumulated. The term is often used to describe buried precious items.

These hoards were all found right here in the north of England, and you can see them on display in our Treasure exhibition until 20 September 2026.

Hoards featured in the reel are:
Collette Hoard (Berwick-upon-Tweed)
Netherwitton Hoard (Netherwitton)
Capheaton Hoard (Capheaton)
Aesica Hoard (Great Chesters)
Stannington Hoard (Stannington)
Bellingham Hoard (Bellingham)
Amble Hoard (Amble)

30/04/2026

Almost there now! Our Museum Studies students are hard at work Great North Museum: Hancock today. 'The Treasures We Keep' opens today and runs until 17th May. Pop in and tell us what you think!

27/04/2026

What do you do with your spare coins? 🪙

Do you save them in a jar, lose them down the back of a chair, or (on very rare occasions) bury them in the garden?

The coins in these photos survived hundreds, and some even thousands, of years underground before being found right here in the North. You can now see them on display in our exhibition 'Treasure: Hidden, Lost, Found' until Sunday 20 September. Entry is free.

Pictured are Tudor coins from the Mason & Short Hoards, Roman silver from the Birnie Hoard, and Viking silver from the Cuerdale Hoard. 🏛️

📸 Photos by Colin Davison Photography

24/04/2026