Who knew there was such beautiful music to be made with a bunch of toy instruments?! Fun, chilled out Tuesday night at the Hope & Social Club at The Attic, Leeds ✨️💙

Morning!

#UTB 🙌

I adored What Girls Do In The Dark, and I was hanging on to every word again in This Is How I Fight, the incredible new collection from @rosiegarlandwriter.bsky.social 🥀 ✨️ (Nine Arches Press, June 2025)

Morning!

So good to see the brilliant @gilllandry.bsky.social again at The Cluny tonight. It's been far too long, but also worth every minute of the wait ✨️ #CinnamonCanyonBlues

Morning!

Incredible night with Dupla, Baby Said, Mt Misery, and Loren Heat at @teessideuni.bsky.social Students' Union 🙌 The spirit of the Westgarth lives on ❤️ #LiveMusic #MiddlesbroughGigs #UTB

"It's time to look more seriously at the role of arts centres as civic anchors... increasingly central to the health and wellbeing of communities" - says our Co-Director Annabel Turpin in this piece for Museums Journal (@museumsassociation.org): www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

The magnificent Mercury Rev at @kustockton.bsky.social ✨️

Morning!

Fun Friday night watching Sherlock at the brilliant Open Air Theatre in Grosvenor Park, Chester, run by @storyhouselive.bsky.social ✨️

We’re thrilled to announce 22 photographers from Open Eye Gallery's Socially Engaged Photography Network will be capturing stories from #OurFreedom: Then and Now, culminating in a national exhibition in 2026. Meet them & learn more: ourfreedom.org.uk/news/new-nat... @artscouncilengland.bsky.social

Artists, there's still time to submit proposals for Timepiece, a new audiovisual installation for #CultureHouseSunderland. Take a look and apply by Mon 1 Sept 👇

Legends! 🙌 My fabulous friends Patrick & Lauren have completed an epic 63 mile #pALEgrimage from Scarborough to Stockton to help raise vital funds for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. If you'd like to give them a hand, you can contribute here: gofund.me/b7b917fa #TheGoldenSmog #pALEgrimage25

Morning!

Gorgeous stuff from @thelakepoets.bsky.social and Eve Simpson at the Old Cinema Launderette in #Durham last night ✨️

Here we go again... #UTB 🔴⚪️

Mint night with @weathership.bsky.social, George Bailey and his band, and Tom Blackwell in the beautiful surroundings of Middlesbrough Town Hall's Courtroom ✨️

If you weren't able to attend this research event which saw Future Arts Centres joining with @uomcreativemcr.bsky.social to explore the role arts centres play in the UK's arts sector and the funding environment they operate in, you can now watch the recording online 👇

Incredible evening at Newcastle Fringe Festival, watching two shows at The Old Coal Yard - first up was Carol Ann Duffy & John Sampson with Earth Prayers, then the always captivating Inua Ellams with Search Party ✨️ Quite the night for a poetry fangirl like me! 🤩

Really special night at Alphabetti Theatre watching Eve Simpson, Mike McKenzie, The Lake Poets, and Dara Dubh at Songs From South Shields (& The World) Writers' Round as part of #NewcastleFringeFestival ✨️

Morning! 🦆

Lush visit to Leeds to catch up with a friend. Lovely chance to visit some of our favourite spots again, including the gorgeous #LeedsCornExchange 😊

🕘 Exciting opportunity for an artist (or artist collective) to create an audiovisual artwork for the atrium screens at #CultureHouseSunderland! Take a look 👇

Tuesday night trip to Leeds for the end of term blowout at the Hope & Social Club 🙌 Already looking forward to being back at The Attic for more in September! 💙

Morning!

Another really special evening at Redhills Durham for Durham Brass Festival with LYR performing Firm as a Rock We Stand with Easington Colliery Brass Band, and Ian McMillan recording an episode of The Adverb for BBC Radio 4 with some great guests. Loved it. #DurhamBRASS #LYR #SimonArmitage

Absolute privilege to be at the beautiful Redhills Durham tonight to hear Barry Hyde play Miners' Ballads with the Durham Miners Association Brass Band for Durham Brass Festival. Not bad as Monday evenings go, not bad at all... 👌 #DurhamBRASS 🎺

Come and join the team at #CultureHouseSunderland!

We have a new compilation out. Digital only, and just for 2 weeks, and it's part of our efforts to raise enough cash inkind to convince the Arts Council to fund another year of A Monday Night in Middlesbrough It's on our Bandcamp industrialcoast.bandcamp.com/album/this-i...

Morning!

Wish I'd been able to make it over before the last day of Declaration, the brilliant, climate crisis-driven exhibition by Kirsten Luckins at ARC Stockton (so I could have told you all to go, too!), but so glad I finally managed to see it this morning. Stunning stuff 👏

Meandering journey home today via breakfast at @thepiecehall.bsky.social deli (and a visit to @bookcornerhx.bsky.social, obvs!), followed by ice cream and views a bit further up the road at Otley Chevin. Can confirm that it is still absolutely #GrimUpNorth. I mean, just look at it...

Beautiful stroll along the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge before a brilliant poetry gig at @thetradesclub.bsky.social with Toria Garbutt, @mlferg.bsky.social, @ralphdartford.bsky.social, and a whole host of excellent open mic performers. More Thursdays like this, please...

We're delighted to be welcoming three new members to Future Arts Centres! Historic Skipton Town Hall in North Yorkshire is the home of Craven Museum and Exhibition Gallery, the grand Concert Hall and the district’s Visitor Information Centre: skiptontownhall.co.uk (1/3)

Benefit of my new(ish) commute... on a beautiful summer's evening, I can stop off at gorgeous places like this on my way home 😍 #Seaham #NorthEastCoast

Morning!

Brilliant day with #CultureHouseSunderland at Summer Streets Festival. Shout out to Ross Millard and the whole #SummerStreets team for organising this fantastic, free festival. It's on again tomorrow - great live music and a lovely, family-friendly atmosphere at Cliffe Park, Roker!

OPPORTUNITY: Database Development Support Future Arts Centres is looking for a freelancer to help us establish a fit-for-purpose, cost-effective digital system to manage our interactions with members. Find out more: futureartscentres.org.uk/opportunity-... and apply by Friday 11 July 2025.

Morning! 🌿

Had the loveliest afternoon at Caroline Walling's Poetry Pick-Me-Ups workshop for @crossingthetees.bsky.social at Billingham Library. The perfect way to end the week and just what I needed today - it definitely fulfilled its purpose! #Poetry #Crafts #CrossingTheTees

Really chuffed for this recognition for @mattabbottpoet.com and very much hoping this novel gets picked up by a publisher as I'd love to read it!

Morning! 🦆

Loved spending Saturday night in a car park in Redcar watching @middlechildhull.bsky.social's #BitingPoint. On again tomorrow if you fancy catching it!

Lovely (if very warm!) night at Darlington Library for HARK! The Sound of Stories presents Passengers & Pioneers with Sam Slatcher, Lizzie Lovejoy and Carmen Marcus, plus a support set from Phil Cox. Great stuff from @tracksdarlington.bsky.social for @crossingthetees.bsky.social 👌

Great evening with Andrew McMillan and Maria Ferguson in conversation about all things Poetry, Yorkshire & Beyond, with live performances of their work, brilliantly hosted by @mattabbottpoet.com at Hyde Park Book Club for @leedslitfest.bsky.social #LeedsLitFest2025

Beautiful afternoon in Roundhay Park #Leeds 🦢🌿

Oops, I did it again! Lovely visit to #NextChapterBooks in Leeds Corn Exchange this morning 😊📚 #IndieBookshopWeek @booksaremybag.bsky.social

Another incredible night with Hope & Social at The Attic in Leeds 💙 ✨️ #LiveMusic #HopeAndSocialClub