The Late Shows: Meet the Venues
We chat to a handful of the amazing venues taking part in The Late Shows this year
This year's edition of The Late Shows - Newcastle and Gateshead's annual, late-night culture crawl - is just around the corner, with over 60 venues set to open their doors to the public for an evening of crafts, performance, art, tours and more.
Ahead of all the after-hours fun kicking off on 17th and 18th May, we caught up with a handful of the amazing venues taking part to find out what visitors can expect.
The Common Room
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
We've been a part of The Late Shows many times before, both prior to our renovation when we were known as The Mining Institute, and since our refurbishment as The Common Room. In fact, back in 2014 our Wood Hall even hosted trapeze artists swinging from the ceiling! It's always the perfect opportunity to use our historic space in new ways.
What do you love most about The Late Shows?
It is often one of the busiest nights of the year - it’s truly heartening to witness so many people spending an evening focused on enjoying the city and what’s on their doorstep. This year, we're excited to be a part of Creative Central NCL’s artist commissions, bringing artistic interpretations of our building through new technologies, for anyone coming along to experience and enjoy.
What can people expect from The Common Room during The Late Shows?
We can't wait for the public to interact with a new augmented reality art trial called ‘Beyond the Surface’ by artist Emma Tominey - a bespoke development for our Late Shows offer this year that will highlight the stories of 12 inspiring female pioneers. Our visitors will have the opportunity to explore the history of regional innovation, so central to our building's heritage, in a new light. We can't wait to see everyone engaging with the space in this way.
Mosaic Tap
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
Yes, last year we hosted a monoprinting workshop hosted by Mollie and Chloe from Idle Hands and they are back this year for a zine-making workshop! We love zines and small-run publications here at Mosaic Tap, and Mollie kindly curated us a zine library which we’ve had for a while and that will be the perfect source of inspiration on the day! I also peel and collect cool beer labels with cool designs and love to throw them into the mix of materials and see what people make with them.
What do you love most about The Late Shows?
It gets people out and about celebrating underappreciated venues all around town like churches and printmaking studios – places people forget they can visit and enjoy on your average weekend out. On top of that, they’re able to watch or participate in one off and exciting art shows and workshops literally all weekend.
Highlighting the vast array of artists in the area is something we’ll stand behind any day as there is so much in Newcastle of such high calibre and that can often be underappreciated – shining a spotlight on it like The Late Shows are doing is what I love about the initiative and why we’ve chosen to be involved for a second year running.
What can people expect from Mosaic Tap during The Late Shows?
Idle Hands’ workshops are loads of fun and built on collaboration. There will be an array of materials ready for anyone to jump in, alongside plenty of examples and guides for inspiration. It’s really laidback and chill; you can spend hours curating an intricate and thoughtful zine or just have a laugh and make a bunch of silly ones too. As long as you’re there and having fun then that’s all that matters!
From Mosaic Tap you can expect our usual vast array of independent craft beer from breweries across the world. We’ve got ten rotating taps and big beer fridges full of everything from IPA to Sour to Stout to Alcohol-Free, plus other non-beery options behind the bar too. You can ask any of us to help you find a drink you like and we’ll make it our mission to do so.
Blackfriars
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
It has been several years since our last participation in The Late Shows, and we're thrilled to be returning in 2024.
What do you love most about The Late Shows?
We love that it gives us the chance to unveil our stunning 13th-century medieval friary to a wider audience who may not have had the opportunity to visit us previously.
What can people expect at Blackfriars during The Late Shows?
We have a weird and wonderful adventure curated by Tim Dalling, Jeremy Bradfield, Faye MacCalman – a team of talented local performers, writers, and composers who will narrate the city's history through a psycho-geographic lens.
Vistors will embark on a participatory ballad-song and procession that guides them through hidden corners of Blackfriars and around our cloister garden before immersing themselves in a ten-minute outdoor performance featuring retro-sinister video-mixing projections of historical images, looped saxophonic soundscapes inspired by early music, and a gripping folk-jazz horror-ballad.
We are also delighted to introduce Dearest Haley, who will animate the history of Blackfriars with impromptu micro poetry performances, incorporating visitors’ thoughts and responses as they explore the ancient building. They’ll receive a handwritten copy of the poem as a keepsake too!
We'll be firing up the BBQ too, and our outdoor cloister garden bar will be serving cocktails and signature home-brewed beer from our recently launched microbrewery. Put simply, this is a night you won't want to miss!
The Pattern Shop
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
Yes, we took part in 2022 and are thrilled to be returning this year. While we’re in the process of restoring The Pattern Shop and giving it a new lease of life, we believe it is so important for us to share the building’s history with as wide an audience as possible - The Late Shows provides us with a unique yet amazing opportunity to do just that: show and tell the story of the pioneering Stephensons who built their steam locomotives here back in the 1880s.
What do you love about The Late Shows?
We love getting to meet our guests and visitors on the night, many of whom had their own stories and memories to tell about the building last time we took part. We’re really excited to be able to show images from The Pattern Shop’s original use to build trains (courtesy of the Robert Stephenson Trust) as well as imagery from throughout the refurbishment process.
What can people expect from The Pattern Shop during The Late Shows?
Guests will be able to see the fully refurbished Grade II listed building, brought back to life to create modern office suites, but with all the character retained of the last 160 years. They’ll be able to see how the building has evolved and have an opportunity to speak to the architect and project team behind The Pattern Shop and learn how they went about refurbishing such an incredible historic asset.
Grainger Market
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
Yes, the Grainger Market took part in 2018 but we're really looking forward to welcoming people back during The Late Show this year.
What do you love about The Late Shows?
It is a great opportunity to welcome new and old faces to wander and wander in the alleyways and arcade. We are really looking forward to having an eclectic mix of visitors who wouldn't normally visit the venue.
What can people expect from Grainger Market during The Late Shows?
It will be transformed into an animated arcade as digital artists Multiminded and illustrator Deborah Snell use projection mapping to animate the Grainger Market, imagining what happens when everyone goes home after trading. There will also be music, great food and drinks, workshops and samples from the amazing traders that call Grainger Market home.
Dance City
Have you taken part in The Late Shows before?
We have taken part in The Late Shows for eight years now, so you could call us regulars!
What do you love most about The Late Shows?
We love that it offers an insight into Dance City, dance production and the art as a whole in the North East to new audiences and showcases dance and specifically dance in the North East and all the talent we have here - to dancers and non-dancers alike!
We really love the fact that so many venues are committed to opening their doors and wishing to welcome and celebrate culture and creativity too.
What can people expect from Dance City during The Late Shows?
We’re really excited to be working with Theresa Poulton who is doing some artwork on the walls of Dance City to honour the African American dancer Pearl Primus. We also have some taster dance sessions and the opportunity to speak to artists and sit in on rehearsals and dance discussions. The cafe located inside Dance City, The Seven Bridges, will also be open which is an exciting venture between Dance City and The West End Refugee Service.
www.thelateshows.org.uk/2024/the-pattern-shop
We don't know about you, but we couldn't be more excited about The Late Shows now we've found out a little more about what's going on! So, mark the dates - 17th and 18th May - in your diary and make sure you read our Late Shows guide to get the most out of this spectacular cultural event.
