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The independent cinema reflects on its past with a series of commissioned artworks by Northern artists
Image: Sophia Barton. ‘Sholay’ from Cinema Matchboxes series
Newcastle’s venerable Tyneside Cinema turns the ripe old age of 85 this year, and they’re marking the milestone with a series of artist commissions which reflect on the independent cinema’s past.
Simon Drysdale, Interim Chief Executive of Tyneside Cinema, explained: “We have a really fascinating archive here at the cinema which includes everything from papers dating from the 1930s, when the cinema first opened, to photos from events across the years. Despite all this information, there are gaps in the story of Tyneside Cinema and the way it has been told over the decades, so we invited artists to help us reveal some of the hidden stories and voices from our past.”
Artists Adina Nelu, Sofia Barton, Colette Whittington and Tim Brunsden were given access to this vast archive to interpret. Manchester-based film composer, producer and creative sound designer Adina Nelu has created three audio visual works which celebrate the women who have played a role in the cinema’s story; Newcastle-based visual artist Sofia Barton has produced 10 poster prints which chart the cinema’s history, utilising a bright colour palette inspired by her Punjabi culture; while Liverpool-based artists Colette Whittington and Tim Brunsden have created two installations which reveal the voices of the cinema.
