Here’s Navigator North’s June 2021 Newsletter. We’re not one to pat ourselves on the back, but this newsletter has been a long time in the making and we can’t wait to share the good news.
We are proud to have developed and be leading on a new 2-year programme called Celebrating Hidden Middlesbrough, which we will host from our brand new space at The Masham Hotel on Linthorpe Road.
Keep reading to find out more and how to join us for our opening event and exhibition which will shine a light on the research and artists originally commissioned for The Tunnel Gallery – an alternative ‘gallery’ space in the pedestrian underpass of Middlesbrough Railway Station.
See you at The Masham!
Best wishes Vicky, Nicola and James
Celebrating Hidden Middlesbrough
Over the next two years we will be creating and presenting community events, art exhibitions, workshops and a range of projects inspired by Middlesbrough’s historically significant buildings, heritage archives and public collections.
Historic England have funded this project as part of their High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) scheme. HSHAZ projects are happening all over the country, and they are designed to protect and spotlight the heritage stories on our high streets.
The Celebrating Hidden Middlesbrough cultural programme will shine a creative light on the culture, history and stories of the high street. It will explore the heritage of Exchange Square and Zetland Road, expand on the recently re-established Tunnel Gallery based in Middlesbrough Railway Station and connect with historically significant works from the Middlesbrough Collection held at MIMA.
Kate Wilson, Partnerships Team Leader for Historic England in the North East and Yorkshire said –
“Revealing the history of Middlesbrough’s distinctive historic quarter will help achieve the prosperous future we all want. When you arrive at the station what better way to begin your experience than to find yourself surrounded by such fine public buildings and spaces. We want to celebrate and unlock the potential of this historic North East town by investing in this High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme, help it thrive and make a positive contribution to the future of Middlesbrough.”
Follow our progress over on our Instagram account and sign up to events via our Facebook page. #hiddenmbro
Celebrating Hidden Middlesbrough is led by Navigator North working in partnership with Middlesbrough Cultural Partnership, Middlesbrough Council and Historic England. This programme forms part of the wider High Street Heritage Action Zone in the town.
The Masham – Navigator North Creative Space
First opened in 1865 as The Albion House, The Masham Hotel served the people of Middlesbrough as a pub and inn for approx. 130 years. It has a fabulous decorative green tiled frontage by Kitching and Lee (Middlesbrough) from 1913 which is now a Grade II listed building. We understand it closed as a pub in 1995 and then became part of the development of Hillstreet Shopping Centre and converted for retail use.
Above – Photographs by Matthew Ward
We are taking inspiration from our previous work on Middlesbrough Winter Garden to rethink the Masham as a new creative space for Middlesbrough town centre – animating an otherwise empty shop unit on the high street.
Inspired by the original Winter Garden which aimed to improve health and wellbeing and bring arts and culture to the people of Middlesbrough between 1907 to 1963 we will develop creative projects, opportunities for artists and ways for people to engage with heritage and culture in the town.
To find out more about our previous Middlesbrough Winter Garden projects visit our website here.
The Masham Opening Event
Join us for our opening event featuring an exhibition of recent artist commissions from The Tunnel Gallery.
The exhibition includes work from Sara Cooper, WAX Photography Collective (Amy Owens, Rachel Deakin, Antony Chambers and Jason Hynes), Connor Clements, Annie O’Donnell and North East Statues (Dan Cochran).
This series of artist commissions reveal some of the hidden stories of Middlesbrough’s heritage. Subjects include an activist motorcycle group from the town, personal family photographs and the natural heritage that grows between the cracks of the historic buildings around us. The role of public sculpture has been re-imagined through stories about the town and its residents and the creation of a virtual gallery space has opened up possibilities for people to visit these works from anywhere in the world.
Everyone Welcome
Exhibition runs 26.06.21 until 31.07.21.
Open 10am – 4pm, Thurs, Fri & Sat.
Covid-19 measures will be in place which may restrict venue capacity.
The Tunnel Gallery is led and programmed by Navigator North, Tees Valley Arts, Platform A Gallery and The Auxiliary Project Space.
