NEWS: Ouseburn Festival returns this weekend

After a couple of years off (for obvious reasons), the celebration of art, creativity, music and community returns to venues and spaces in the Ouseburn Valley on Saturday 16^th July.

The Ouseburn Festival is a free and family-friendly showcase of all the things that make the Valley one of the region’s treasures, and there’s something for everyone on the line-up.

Here at NARC., we’ve teamed up with The Cumberland Arms to present a full day of live music on their terrace, featuring Teesside cellist and singer Harriet Bradshaw, acoustic indie duo Fawns, alt. rockers The Timewasters, spoken word electro artist Faithful Johannes, indie rocker Holly Rees and good time rock ‘n’ roll from Weekend Faithful. The fun kicks off at 3pm and there’s a pop-up food stall from top burger slingers Fat Hippo.

Over at the Bandstand there’s a costume making session with Chalk; storytimes organised by Seven Stories and Unfolding Theatre, whose sessions feature original stories by children from Byker, Wallsend and South Tyneside; and Skimstone Arts present live music from Reality Boots and Standing Upright, with more TBA.

Elsewhere, Shieldfield Art Works presents an exhibition of eclectic work from their Painting For Fun artists; Biscuit Tin Studios host an open studio day, where you can check out the artists who make the space their home; there’s a Raku pottery demonstration at the Ouseburn Allotments behind the Cumberland Arms, hosted by Chilli Studios; and Star & Shadow Cinema present a selection of their NEIFF 2021 programme of award-winning short films.

If you’d like to try your hand at a new skill, head to Biscuit Factory’s festival celebrations where you can learn to make a small clay bowl, join Little Biscuits to design your own festival pinwheel and get dancing with Forum Books’ banging playlist.

For the shopaholics among you, Tyne Bank Brewery offer up a Vintage Vera kilo sale; Toffee Factory welcomes a range of sellers of cool and groovy clothes and records soundtracked by DJs Lee Baby Sims and Little Miss Perfect; the Ouseburn Market returns to a site next door to Northern Print on Stepney Bank, offering over 80 stalls featuring makers, artists, food and drink; and 36 Lime Street host a pop-up shop featuring arts and crafts, print and ceramics and much more throughout the day (and continuing on Sunday).

Keep an eye out for the pocket programme which includes a map of venues and all the timings you need to have an ace day. If you’d like to help support the festival there’s a donations page on their website.