Culture & Tourism

Newcastle has a large and vibrant cultural sector which embraces all artforms and includes arts and entertainment organisations and museums in both the commercial and subsidised sectors.  A full list of venues that are open to the public can be found here.

The City Council’s role in the sector is to create an environment in which creative individuals and organisations will flourish and to enable all residents and visitors to engage in the cultural activity of their choice.

The Council delivers creative activity only where it is the best organisation to do so. In the main, this means it concentrates its efforts on enabling participation in creative activity by people who would otherwise have no access to it, through its Arts Development programme.

It works with partners to commission and maintain a growing portfolio of Public Art projects and Events.

Museums & Archives in Newcastle are run by Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM). TWAM also runs the Laing Gallery. It manages the Great North Museum (Hancock) and the Hatton Gallery for Newcastle University and museums and galleries in North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Gateshead. It looks after the archives of all five local authorities in Tyne & Wear.

The City Council no longer runs creative-sector grant-aid programmes itself. Funding for activity that takes place in the city is, however, still available.

Information and support for tourists and businesses in the tourism sector are provided by the City Council's destination marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI).