Sunderland Culture

12/06/2026

Rebel Woman Jill Scott is Coming Home 🎉

Football Icon Jill Scott MBE is making her way from Wembley to the Stadium of Light as part of a five-day Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief 2026.

The challenge is about giving back to communities that give people a sense of belonging. It finishes in Jill’s hometown of Sunderland, where local pride and community are at the heart of the city. Track the Coming Home Challenge at comicrelief.com/jillscott ❤️

Over at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, you can find out more about Jill Scott’s background in the Rebel Women exhibition which celebrates extraordinary local women.

Find out more about the Rebel Women exhibition at sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/rebel-women-of-sunderland

02/06/2026

What a weekend for Sunderland 🎉

From One Big Summer to BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and The Stadium of Light, Sunderland welcomed visitors for a packed weekend of events.

A big thank you to our City Volunteers who supported across Keel Square, offering a warm welcome and helping people make the most of the celebrations!

This was a fantastic start to the City Volunteers project, and you can catch the team at future events throughout Sunderland.

Find out more about City Volunteers at sunderlandculture.org.uk/cityvolunteers

City Volunteers is led by Sunderland Culture in partnership with Sunderland Experience, Foundation of Light and Culture House Sunderland , supported by North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.

27/05/2026

A key part of Culture Start’s legacy is the delivery of Poverty Proofing®, a programme developed by Children North East to help cultural organisations identify and remove barriers that children and young people experiencing financial disadvantage may face when accessing arts and culture.

Since 2024, 91 staff members have been involved in Poverty-Awareness training, helping to provide a more inclusive creative sector here in Sunderland.

“I now have a much sharper focus on the hidden costs and the impact of seemingly minor things, for example, specific venue choices, timing of events, or the materials and equipment participants are expected to provide. I’m more mindful of the stigma and the need to communicate options discreetly and with dignity.” - Marty Longstaff

Find out more about Poverty Proofing® in Sunderland in the Culture Start Year 2 Report: https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/projects-partnerships/culture-start/year-2/

This Poverty Proofing® activity has been delivered by Children North East as part of Culture Start – a programme led by Sunderland Culture, supported by a £1.2m Place Partnership award from Arts Council England through the National Lottery, and generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Sir James Knott Trust, and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.

25/05/2026

"Future Creatives has supported me with brilliant opportunities like music production and theatre workshops. It’s given me an amazing summer full of creative experiences – without the worry of whether I could afford to take part." -Future Creatives Member

Future Creatives is a community for young people aged 13-18 (up to 25 with SEND) who are passionate about creativity. It provides a programme of exclusive opportunities shaped by the young people themselves, ensuring activities reflect their interests and ambitions.

Since May 2025, Future Creatives has grown to 175 members and delivered 63 creative opportunities.

Find out more about Future Creatives and the rest of the Culture Start programme in our Year 2 Report: https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/projects-partnerships/culture-start/year-2/

Future Creatives is part of Culture Start – a programme delivered by Sunderland Culture, supported by a £1.2m Place Partnership award from Arts Council England through the National Lottery and generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Sir James Knott Trust, and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.

22/05/2026

“Receiving this bursary has opened pathways I never thought possible. It’s given me the creative freedom to explore the wider world of design beyond what I thought was within reach. Being awarded the bursary gave me the belief that my dream of becoming a fashion designer really can come true” - Ignite Bursary Recipient

The Ignite Bursary supports young people aged 12-18 (up to 25 for those with SEND) to access creative opportunities they might not otherwise afford.

Through the Ignite Bursary, we have supported 92 young people, investing £49,650 to help them develop skills, explore pathways into creative education and build confidence in their artistic practice.

Find out more about the Ignite Bursary in the Culture Start Year 2 Report: https://www.sunderlandculture.org.uk/projects-partnerships/culture-start/year-2/

The Ignite Bursary is part of Culture Start – a programme delivered by Sunderland Culture, supported by a £1.2m Place Partnership award from Arts Council England through The National Lottery, and generously funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Sir James Knott Trust, and the Gillian Dickinson Trust.

22/05/2026

City Volunteers are ready for One Big Summer☀️

This week, our City Volunteers were briefed for One Big Summer ahead of this weekend's busy programme of performances, cultural activities and BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend!

If you’re heading into the city, keep an eye out for our friendly volunteers around Keel Square - they’ll be on hand to help visitors, share information and welcome people into Sunderland❤️

City Volunteers is led by Sunderland Culture in partnership with Sunderland, UK, Sunderland Experience, Foundation of Light and Culture House Sunderland , supported by North East Mayoral Strategic Authority.

21/05/2026

Exploring Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens Stores with the Green Spaces, Shared Places group 🖼️

Over a few sessions, the group of young people took part in a Store Tour and began picking objects for the Green Spaces, Shared Places exhibition. Some of the items that made it onto the longlist included:

🧸 A 1980s womble toy
🪴Charles Muir’s botanical drawings
🎨 A painting called ‘Gun Street’

The group continued used eco-lens training to test and assess the objects they chose.

They were also introduced to Charles Muir’s notebooks and journals from the archive, learning all about his personal life and his connection to plants and green spaces. There are over 800 of his plant drawings in the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens collection!

Read more about the Going Places project and the journey so far at sunderlandculture.org.uk/news

Green Spaces, Shared Places is part of Going Places - an Art Fund programme made possible with major support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Julia Rausing Trust, with additional support from a generous group of trusts, foundations and individuals.

21/05/2026

Tonight at Arts Centre Washington.

Don't miss Alex Redman. Info below👇

Don''t miss Alex Redman at Washy Comedy Fest.

▶“Appealingly quirky” Chortle ▶“Alex is a comedic joy” Harriet Dyer

🤣 Peculiar, quirky, off-kilter, eccentric, odd, weird and kooky are all words that critics have used to describe Redman’s comedy. This has left Alex wondering “am I a freak?”. Maybe, or maybe she is just destined for a different world.

🤣 In Sunshine Space Cadet, Redman combs through the eccentricities of life, her sunny disposition, mental illness and the conflict that comes with being an oddball whilst also desperately wanting to be liked.

📅 Thursday 21 May
▶ 7:30pm - 9pm / Ages 18+ / £10

🎟 Book now: sunderlandculture.org.uk/whats-on/alex-redman-sunshine-space-cadet/