Being creative and finding local art events can be tricky, especially amongst the stress of moving to a new city and starting your degree. Certain queries like ‘is it free?’, ‘who else is going?’ and ‘what equipment do I need to bring?’ can interfere with the fun and excitement of actually attending an art-based event. Because of this, I’ve attended a few events and plan on sharing my experiences below.
The majority of the events I attended were put on by various society’s at Newcastle University. These provided insight into the creative opportunities that are available for all students, whether they have bought memberships, or not.
1. ‘Tie-Dye Socks’ Event
The first event I attended was a ‘tie-dye socks’ event put on by Newcastle University’s ‘Blank Canvas Society’. Based on-campus, the event was easy to locate and attend.
Because the dye had to be rationed between us all, it encouraged us all to talk to each other, and get to know one another. I thought this was really well-done as it meant no-one was left out and it removed any shyness and awkwardness that was there at the beginning.
Image Information
Image taken from Instagram.
Credit belongs to Instagram account: blankcanvasnewcastle
When it got to the dying of the socks, the society committee put on music, provided snacks, and let us get on with it. It was fun to ‘let loose’ and be creative for a few hours at the end of a busy day of lectures and studying.
Below is the images I took whilst I was there. They include a step-by-step guide of how we dyed the socks, and the end result after being washed and dried.
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Photo credit: I took the photos.
At the end, the society committee gathered up our socks to be washed and returned to us at a later date. Overall, the event was very successful in terms of it being a creative pursuit that provided space and time for people to get to know each other whilst also engaging in a fun activity.
2. ‘Wine Glass Painting’ Event
The next event I attended was a ‘Wine Glass painting’ session which was a collaboration between Newcastle Universities ‘Blank Canvas society’ and ‘Nutri tank society’. This event was located in an on-campus building, and was held in the late afternoon.
Images Information
Left Image: Taken from Instagram. Credit belongs to Instagram account: blankcanvasnewcastle
Right Image: Taken from Instagram. Credit belongs to Instagram account: newcastlenutritanksociety
This event was a lot more social, with there being more people being on a single table because of how popular the event was. This resulted in more socialising and talking than in the previous event, even before the art equipment was handed out.
Because of this, I was able to ask the people on my table for possible interviews on their experience, as well as their consent to take photos. They agreed, and one of them stated that : “I thought it was a really cool experience where I got to meet new people.” Another member also said how they found the event “really fun and relaxing.”
The event lasted around 2 hours, and in the end we were able to take our wine glasses (which we had painted) home with us. The event as a whole was quite successful in terms of being creative, as well as being social and meeting new people. I found that it was really easy to get along with the people on my table, mostly because we had something in common: an interest in art.
The event was also free to sign up for as it was part of the society’s 6 month free trial. This meant that it was a cheap and accessible activity for students to partake in at the end of a busy timetabled day.
3. Art Exhibitions
For my other pieces of work for the website, I attended two separate art gallery exhibitions in October. These were Sally Anne Fitters’ exhibition ‘’Chasing the Light” on October 14th, and Dudley Edwards’ exhibition ‘’Tranquil Echoes” on October 27th. These were both held in ‘The Biscuit Factory’ in Sheildfield, close to the student accommodation ‘Portland Green’.
Both of these events were free, and were advertised via the Biscuit Factory website : www.thebiscuitfactory.com
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Credit: Images taken from The Biscuit Factory website. URL: www.thebiscuitfactory.com
Not only did both of these events provide me with the opportunity to interview the artists, but I was also able to take photos of the art, ask questions with staff and mingle with the other people who attended. Both events lasted about 2 hours, but people in attendance were free to leave early, or stay later. In my opinion, the exhibitions provided me with more artistic knowledge, and the opportunity to talk to the artists themselves made the visits all the more personal and intriguing.
Visiting local art galleries is something I would personally recommend to anyone with an interest in the arts. They offer a wide range of information and many are free-entry or offer student discounts.
The variety of the art in the galleries are also very inclusive; they include painting, pottery, fabric, lino prints and many more, and the staff are always keen to answer and questions or queries.
Images Information
Both images taken by me.
Left Image: Owned and credited to Sally Anne Fitter. URL: SALLY ANNE FITTER – About The Artist
Right Image: Owned and credited to Dudley Edwards. URL: Dudley Edwards – Art by Dudley Edwards
Some of the most popular art galleries in Newcastle include; The Biscuit Factory, The Laing Art gallery and Castle Fine Art
More information about each gallery and the events they host can be found on their websites below: