Lauren Laverne’s Great Northern Soundtrack
DJ, presenter and Sunderland native Lauren Laverne is curating a week-long showcase of gigs, talks and exhibitions celebrating the music of the north, held at Sage Gateshead. It begins with a concert from Nightmares on Wax – Warp record’s longest serving artist – who continues to make his mark 25 years on, as well as hosting Tyneside-born singer Nadine Shah and revered dancefloor vocalist Róisín Murphy, of Moloko fame.
Prices vary, 22 June-1 July
Which Way North
Described as a “portal to another world”, the Which Way North exhibition dives into the “heart and soul of the revolutionary north” through the work of the inventors, scientists and artists that call it home. More than 200 objects will be on show at Newcastle’s Great North Museum, including astronaut Helen Sharman’s space suit, the last piano played by John Lennon, the sonic screwdriver from the 11th Doctor Who and David Hockney’s painting Le Parc des Sources, Vichy.
Free, 22 June-9 September
Idea of North, BALTIC
From the representation of women in the north-east to photographs documenting the underground music scene of Gateshead to an installation in response to the Cumbrian rave scene in the 1990s, this show explores and celebrates northern identities through a collection of pavilions, architectural constructions and curated displays spread throughout the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art’s Level 4.
Until 30 September
Aeons: A Sound Journey for Newcastle
An audio art trail that takes visitors along the banks of the River Tyne, Aeons offers an immersive way to explore the city while absorbing music from the region that responds to your surroundings. The half-hour walk starts at the Millennium Bridge control centre where you can collect your headphones. From there, guided by the river, the soundtrack includes music by composer and accordionist Martin Green with the Chorus and Orchestra of Opera North, along with vocals from Becky Unthank, Mogwai’s Dominic Aitchison, and combined with field recordings.
Free (but booking is advised), 22 June-9 September
The Northern Design Quest
Taking place across several venues, including the Great North Museum, Newcastle City Library and the Northern Design Centre, this design trail leads visitors through the creative process behind some of the products, brands and objects conjured up by great designers of the north. Among the objects featured are Joseph Swan’s light bulb, Frank Hornby’s Meccano and the unmistakable Barbour jackets. The trail starts at the Great North Museum, where visitors receive a brief and take on the role of designer as they explore the displays for inspiration.
22 June-9 September
The Worker’s Maypole
An installation by artists Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich – known for producing large-scale, performance led, public works – this piece will see the monument to Northumberland-born 19th-century prime minister Charles Grey transformed into a vibrant maypole. The monument, in Newcastle city centre, will be wrapped in coloured ribbons as part of a live parade featuring folk music, sword dancers and maypole dancing celebrating the work of Grey and the role of the north in building a more equal society.
22 June-9 September
The return of Stephenson’s Rocket + the Rocket Reimagined (VR)
Fusing the latest virtual reality technology with one of the flagship inventions of the 19th century – Stephenson’s Rocket locomotive – this installation at the Discovery Museum gives visitors a chance to experience the Rocket at its finest. Produced by northern tech firm Hedgehog Lab, the installation combines virtual and augmented reality to take visitors on a ride back to the early steam age.
Free, 22 June-9 September
Get North Water Sculpture
Evocative of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas, the Get North Water Sculpture is the largest of its kind in the UK; a spectacle of design and engineering that shoots 80m-high spouts of water (the height of the Tyne Bridge) into the sky. The fountain will perform every hour of every day for the course of the exhibition – during the night it will be illuminated with a coordinated light display.
Free, 22 June-9 September
• MORE ART SHOWS AND EVENTS IN THE NORTH
China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, Liverpool
It’s one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological finds and now, for the first time in more than a decade, a collection of terracotta warriors from the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang is in the UK. The exhibition includes artefacts dating from the 8th century BC, charting 1,000 years of China’s history. It takes place as part of series of high-profile events marking 10 years since the city was European Capital of Culture. Other events include an Egon Schiele retrospective at Tate Liverpool (until 23 Sept) and Eighteen for 18: a series of specially commissioned arts and music events.
Adults £14.50, children £5.50, until 28 October, liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
Pop-up Shakespeare, York
Europe’s first temporary Shakespearean theatre will be constructed in York this summer, inspired by the legendary Rose Theatre in London that was built in 1587. The intimate pop-up theatre will be in York’s historic centre beside the Clifford’s Tower and will play host to four plays: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Richard III for a 10-week season.
Tickets from £12.50, 25 June-2 September, shakespearesrosetheatre.com
Lee Miller and Surrealism in Britain, Wakefield
Hosted at the Hepworth Museum, just outside Leeds, this is the first exhibition to explore the role of renowned photographic artist Lee Miller within the British surrealist movement of the late 1930s. The show will tell the story of British surrealism – including the 1936 International Surrealism Exhibition in London and the 1937 Surrealist Invasion of Cornwall – focusing on collaborations between Miller and other artists. Works by Eileen Agar, Salvador Dali, René Magritte and Henry Moore will also be on show.
Free, 22 June-7 October, hepworthwakefield.org
Prints of Darkness: Goya and Hogarth in a Time of European Turmoil, Manchester
Featuring 100 prints from the collections of the Whitworth and the Manchester Art gallery, this major exhibition is the first time the works of Goya and Hogarth have been shown together. Both artists explore society at its worst: from war and violence to poverty and nationalism. The gallery says it has curated this show at a time when Britain is experiencing a period of identity crisis, noting that both artists lived through periods of warfare with France. Hogarth, they say: “seems to embody the tortured mindset of Britain on the eve of Brexit”.
Free, 7 July 2018 to August 2019, whitworth.manchester.ac.uk
Jamie Reid XXXXX: 50 years of Subversion and the Spirit, Hull
Celebrating the work of Liverpool artist Jamie Reid, a punk icon known for his graphic work and use of newspaper-cuttings (most notably cover art for the Sex Pistols), this exhibition will showcase 50 years of his anti-establishment aesthetic. Held at the Humber Gallery, it will feature collage work, drawings, paintings, posters and photographs.
Free, 13 October 2018 to 6 January 2019, humberstreetgallery.co.uk