This year we're celebrating ten years of Masala Festival, ten years of sunshine, creativity and wild joy on the Wear www.instagram.com/reel/DXuaomQ...

We loved working with Festival of Languages this year- we don't always get to play with language in our workshops and it was eye openingly great to do it with such a brilliant team. vimeo.com/1187683563?f...

It's almost time for the Late Shows too?? Where has this month gone? thelateshows.org.uk/2026#event-643

Some great work coming from Gateshead International Festival of Thearte (GIFT!) next week too, think we might pop along to more than a few events... www.giftfestival.co.uk/2026-programme

More great work from Gateshead- Creative Conversations from Shipley all about practicing English and the universal language- ART! www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/shipley/what...

Sharing the UNION 2026 opportunities for our participatory artists in the North- looks like a great reflective opportunity for artists driven by social change unionarts.org.uk/programme/un...

We're declaring it Spring- winter is just to bleak. Spring School newsletter out now mailchi.mp/e5e805900d9d...

Festival of Languages has started! We're supporting with free, online classroom resources to do some creative language learning expressyourselfne.com/culture-box-...

Kicking off Thursday by listening to the @collaboratecic.bsky.social podcast with our own Zahra Bazarganianpour discussing Human Learning Systems open.spotify.com/episode/5fe6...

Yesterday's ceilidh dancing, language translating, art making Imagine If conference was such a breath of fresh air, rewatching this today to stay inspired www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcXW... @northeastmuseums.bsky.social

Apply to be our new Administration Assistant! gemarts.org/about/newsbl...

From the archive we’re listening to an old track from Kema Kay and DJ Ads for #AntiBullyingWeek with students at Chopwell Primary School, St Wilfrid's RC Primary School in 2018!

BIG NEWS! We’re super excited to announce that GemArts Masala Festival has been nominated for the North East Culture Awards 2025 in the Arts Council England Award category. the awards on 27th Nov at The Stockton Globe Theatre. #NECultureAwards #MasalaFestival #ACESupported #LetsCreate

A gorgeous weekend of Diwali celebrations! Hope we can take the celebrations with us into half term and have keep the fun going 🤞🏽🤞🏽

Project Play Tuesday 28th! Open to all families, whether you’ve been dancing to 'Mera Joota Hai Japani' since you were a baby or don’t know your baen from your daen. www.eventbrite.com/cc/mini-gems...

With #Diwali around the school our school workshops are booking up fast- get in touch to bring an artist into your school to bring the festival of light to your students.

We’re shining a light on some of our Diwali celebrations from the archive this week- we hope you’re inspired to make your own lantern with this workshop from Sofia Barton

These Young Creatives are so many things- check out the beats they made with DJ Ads to see a teeny tiny piece of their creativity youtube.com/shorts/XcYu5...

It’s National Inclusion Week! We support schools, community groups and workplaces to get creative and inclusive every week 😊 Don’t be shy- get in touch to get inclusive!

A new school year means a new year of East by North East! Our young musicians have been making music all over Newcastle and Gateshead since 2016! Here they are making incredible music at last year’s celebration

Riverside Ragas:  Tar Rang – 100 Colours, 100 String! Expressive. Soul-stirring. A rare jugalbandi. 19th September, 8PM, £11.30 - £22.50,The Glasshouse International Centre for Music theglasshouseicm.org/whats-on/riv...

@alphabettitheatre.bsky.social hitting it out of the park again www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/dial1foruk

Bringing some of our own #SouthAsianHeritage from the archive today, we’re looking at all the different kinds of Indian classical and contemporary dance we’ve brought to the region in the last 25 years. From Bollywood to Kuchipudi, Kathakali to Kathak

It doesn't matter how old you are when it comes to Masala Festival, check out these incredible tiny Bollywood dancers at today's workshop 💜🌺💃🏽

Yesterday we had a gorgeous afternoon @vanegallery.bsky.social inspired by Sofia Barton's exhibition: Death Magic. Sullivan Alenzi lead a great discussion and workshop around the themes of the show 🪷🌸🌺

Meet the participants from yesterday's shadow puppetry workshop with Saya Naruse- from CPD to full play time they all had different reasons for taking part and they all smashed it!

Yesterday we kicked things off with Akash Odedra at Theatre Royal Newcastle and yoga with Palak- tag us in your photos of Masala Festival and let us know what you're excited for!

First day of Masala Festival 2025! Let it raaaaaain! @gemarts.bsky.social brings the sunshine! www.gemarts.org/whatson

Gem Arts' Masala Festival opens tomorrow right at Newcastle Theatre Royal with Aakash Odedra's Songs of the Bulbul! 💃Mon 14 July 🎟️ bit.ly/3XTUXFf @gemarts.bsky.social

Lush to hear all the excitement for Masala Festival 2025 of Spice FM- make sure you've got tickets to everything you fancy for next week 🦚🪷 gemarts.org/whatson

New exhibition! 14 July – 2 August: ‘Death Magic’, by Sofia Barton for GemArts Masala Festival, a contemplation on the connections between life and remembrance. www.vane.org.uk/exhibitions/... @sofiabarton.bsky.social‬ @gemarts.bsky.social‬ @orbiscommunity.bsky.social @gatesheadcouncil.bsky.social

We've been drawing shadows on the sunny Bensham Grove lawn. Hesam is our volunteer arts leader for walk and draw sessions with artists who are seeking sanctuary 🌿

Another gorgeous addition to the Masala Festival line up- join Sullivan Alenezi for a workshop about remembrance to create a community made installation 🪷 gemarts.org/whatson/even...

Get ready for some Mini Mela fun! This #masalafestival2025 we're going WILD with animal crafts and projects. Put it in your diary, get it on the calendar and head on down to a great day of free family fun to kick off your summer holidays! 🙉🦁🐯🦓🐃🦒🦧🦔🦚 www.facebook.com/share/r/1CDG...

Join award-winning short story writer, Gurnaik Johal, as he reads from his debut novel 'Saraswati' - a tale of love, lust, violence and loss in the lives of six relatives. @gemarts.bsky.social Just a few tickets left for the event held at Northern Stage on Tuesday 15 July >> bit.ly/44FUbiK

If you missed our Young Creatives film screening last week we've got you covered over on the blog gemartsuk.wordpress.com/2025/06/24/f...

We are thrilled to announce the Jerwood Fellowship for Emerging Writers at New Writing North. Awarded to three early-career writers, currently living in the North of England. Each writer will receive a bursary of £10,000 and a bespoke package of support.

HAPPY REFUGEE WEEK!🥳 This #RefugeeWeek, #OurSuperpower is building a movement of welcome for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. This week, and every week, we know that community is our superpower.

We’d like to clarify that the Young Creatives Film Screening will take place at Bensham Grove Community Centre (not the Library, as previously stated). If you’ve already registered or have tickets, please note the correct location at Sidney Grove, Gateshead NE8 2XD We apologize for any confusion!

GemArts Masala Festival 2025 launches on Monday 14th July at the majestic Newcastle Theatre Royal with Songs of the Bulbul, a stunning production from the multi-award winning Aakash Odedra Company, in association with Manchester Camerata with choreography by Rani Khanam and music by Rushil Ranjan.

Masala Festival is always too much fun- here are some of our favourite photos from the archive of amazing events over the years to get you in the mood for next month’s festival.

Join us for a night of comedy this Refugee Week!🎤 Every ticket sold helps us continue our vital work with refugees across the North East.🙏 📆 Date: Monday 16th June 📍 Location: 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ 🕢 Time: 19:30 🎟️ Ticket Price: £15 Link: thecluny.com/listing/stan...

We said a fond farewell to the team at Hillside Hub refugee drop-in, they're off to pastures new and we're so thrilled to celebrate their art this #creativityandwellbeingweek

Calling visual artists 📣 Applications for Magnetic 4 are now open. The artistic exchange programme will see UK artists hosted by French arts organisations.🎨 Find out more about the programme and apply 👇 fluxusartprojects.com/magnetic-res... #LetsCreate #ACEsupported

Dancing makes us feel good! Madhura Godbole talked to us about why she thinks dance can help us feel better this #CreativityandWellbeingWeek Check out our dance performances and workshops to feel better 💃🏽

This #CreativeWellbeingWeek we're looking at all things GREEN- what is it about green that makes us feel better? gemartsuk.wordpress.com

A really GOOD SESSION with Palak this week, getting inspired by the sea as we get ready for our Alnmouth field trip with Northumberland National Landscapes

Another gorgeous project from @newwritingnorth.bsky.social rth.bsky.social Voice Notes is calling for people with English as a second language to get involved and record something really special newwritingnorth.com/event/voice-...

Hesam was *very* inspired by his trip to Alnmouth and is trying out some nature inspired ideas with Hillside Hub, we think he likes it? Creative Coastal Connections is a project in partnership with Northumberland Coast National Landscape, as part of the @naturecalling25 national arts programme

With the unfolding of spring, @gemarts.bsky.social and our Music Department are back with Indian Spring Colours, a festival to immerse ourselves in the fragrant hues of raga music! 🌷🌿🦜💐❤️ We look forward to welcoming you all! For more details: kindly check out gemarts.org/whatson