Newcastle Gallery Unveils Exhibition on Northern Identity

A contemporary gallery in Newcastle explores what it means to be “northern” in today’s Britain through bold visual storytelling and immersive installations.

6 June 2025 at 16:47 • By Sophie Bennett, The Angle Watch

Newcastle’s Tyneside Contemporary Gallery has launched a bold new exhibition titled 'We Are North', exploring regional identity through mixed media and performance. The show brings together artists from Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire to challenge southern-centric cultural narratives.

The exhibit opened with a live spoken word performance that fused Geordie dialect with sound installations, setting the tone for what curators describe as 'a celebration and a reckoning.' Paintings, video art, and sculpture installations round out the display, each engaging with local history, industry, and voice.

Artist Naomi Redpath, whose digital mural features decommissioned coal mines blended with abstract street maps, says her work is about 'reclaiming space, both physically and emotionally.' Her piece drew particular praise from visitors for its emotional resonance and innovative use of light.

The exhibition space itself has been transformed, with immersive rooms replicating a Northern kitchen, a factory break room, and a seaside caravan. Each setting is layered with audio clips, news footage, and scent-diffusers that deepen the experience.

Gallery director Samir Nawaz notes a shift in public appetite. 'There’s a hunger for stories that aren’t filtered through London lenses. We’re giving people permission to see themselves and their communities as worthy of artistic exploration.'

Attendance numbers have exceeded expectations, especially among younger audiences and first-time gallery visitors. The show will run until mid-November, with plans for a touring version to visit Hull and Leeds in 2025.

‘We Are North’ has positioned itself as more than just an art show—it’s a cultural movement, one brushstroke at a time.