{"id":67,"date":"2023-12-22T07:44:15","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T07:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/?p=67"},"modified":"2023-12-22T07:44:16","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T07:44:16","slug":"a-visit-to-the-baltic-and-keeping-art-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/2023\/12\/22\/a-visit-to-the-baltic-and-keeping-art-free\/","title":{"rendered":"A Visit to The Baltic and Keeping Art Free"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I visited the Baltic\u2019s latest exhibition and reflected on the importance of keeping these events free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While visiting The Baltic, I couldn\u2019t help but notice the donation points and posters stating that The Baltic is in need of donations inorder to be kept free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-68\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7916-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Arwa Mahmood (2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine strolling into the Baltic without having to empty your pockets. It&#8217;s not just about seeing cool art; it&#8217;s about feeling like you belong there. When admission fees vanish, it&#8217;s an open invite for everyone, no matter if you&#8217;re a broke student or a struggling artist. You walk in, soak up creativity, and leave feeling inspired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When visiting each exhibition, of course I could appreciate the effort, time and messages behind each piece however, I couldn\u2019t stop the thought looming in my head that there could be so much more to the beautiful art gallery with the right funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-69\" style=\"width:569px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7928-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When we knock down those entry barriers, magic happens. Families spend quality time together exploring funky sculptures. Kids&#8217; eyes widen in wonder at colorful paintings. Students get their minds blown by thought-provoking installations. It&#8217;s like a free pass to a world of imagination and ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It feels as though places of such rich art and culture get dismissed by the local council and government because they aren\u2019t seen as priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, art galleries are not just about looking at pretty things; they\u2019re about connecting with people. By making galleries free, we&#8217;re saying, &#8220;Hey, let&#8217;s hang out and chat about this wild piece of art.&#8221; It sparks conversations, brings folks from all walks of life together, and celebrates our differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-70\" style=\"width:721px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23056\/2023\/12\/IMG_7923-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Arwa Mahmood (2023).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, money talks, but so does the vibe of a buzzing, accessible cultural space. More visitors mean more life in the area. Caf\u00e9s thrive, local businesses get a boost, and the city buzzes with a cultural beat that attracts curious tourists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Baltic in Newcastle? It&#8217;s a symbol of cool art and creative vibes. Let\u2019s make it a place where everyone feels like they can kick back, soak up some culture, and maybe even discover their inner artist\u2014all without reaching for their wallets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I visited the Baltic\u2019s latest exhibition and reflected on the importance of keeping these events free. While visiting The Baltic, I couldn\u2019t help but notice the donation points and posters stating that The Baltic is in need of donations inorder to be kept free. Imagine strolling into the Baltic without having to empty your pockets. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3,4,11],"class_list":["post-67","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-arts","tag-culture","tag-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/153"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/arwa-mahmood\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}