New home for leading arts charity Helix Arts as it moves into North Shields Cultural Quarter
North East arts charity Helix Arts has moved into a new home in the heart of North Shields Cultural Quarter.
The Helix Arts team is now based in North Tyneside Business Centre on the crossroads of Saville Street and Howard Street. It’s in an arts and culture hotspot that’s also home to the Globe Gallery and Exchange 1856 theatre.
Helix Arts is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation working with communities across the North East. Founded in 1983, its work focuses on arts and health, social inclusion, children and young people, artist development, and criminal justice.
North Shields Cultural Quarter is part of North Tyneside Council’s ambitious plans for North Shields, enhancing and growing the creative economy, with funding from North of Tyne Combined Authority.
The Cultural Quarter funds Helix Arts’ artist development programme Artists’ Agency North Shields. Artists Agency is for creatives living or working in North Tyneside. It provides bespoke support and includes networking events, workshops, mentoring, social events, drop-in Co-Cafes and Creative Table problem-solving sessions.
CoCafe is a relaxed monthly drop-in session for artists and creatives. The next one is at the Exchange 1856 on 16 May between 1pm and 4pm. It offers a chance to support and learn from each other and share skills. Artists can share details of what they’re working on, troubleshoot projects, seek feedback and get funding help. Light refreshments are provided and booking is not necessary.
Creative Table is a series of themed community meals for artists and creatives. Each meal has a special focus and is led by an artist with expertise in that area. Past topics have included food waste and Universal Basic Income.
Helix Arts celebrated its 40th year in 2023. It continues to mark the anniversary with its Re:Visits programme, working closely with artists, partners and communities across the region.
Helix Arts Director Cheryl Gavin said: “This is an exciting time for us, moving right into the midst of North Shields Cultural Quarter and encouraging the space to be a cultural hub.
“We have fantastic creative organisations and businesses in and around North Tyneside Business Centre. We offer an open invitation to artists, organisations and groups to co-create work in this fantastic space we have including meetings, workshops, exhibitions and events.
“We’re an arts charity that uses art to create change. Creative communities change by enhancing their health and lifestyle. We connect artists and local people to collaborate to do this. Whether it be in a school, prison, care home or park, we work with all ages, maybe living on a low income, feeling isolated or other challenges around employment, addiction or housing concerns.
“We often work with folks who might feel forgotten, vulnerable and living in adverse circumstances.
“Having our base in North Shields Cultural Quarter will help connect people from across North Tyneside and the wider North East with the thriving creative community and growing cultural economy in the town.
“We are proud to be delivering our Artists Agency North Shields as part of North Shields Cultural Quarter. We’re helping artists in North Tyneside to develop a mentoring network that supports the creative and cultural workforce now and for the future.”
Cllr Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor for North Tyneside and cabinet member responsible for Regeneration, Economic Development and Culture said: “We’re delighted to see Helix Arts moving into North Shields Cultural Quarter, it’s a sign of the positive changes that are happening as the creative economy in the town continues to flourish.
“Helix Arts is a key player in the North Shields creative community, as well as their important work reaching many different communities across North Tyneside and the North East.
“North Shields Cultural Quarter is helping regenerate the town’s economy by helping creative businesses, organisations and practitioners to thrive, through training, mentoring, business support, creating opportunities for networking and collaboration, and providing funding for bursaries, projects and events. With all the other ambitious regeneration and improvement works going on, this is an exciting chapter for North Shields.”
About Helix Arts
Helix Arts is an arts charity that has been using art to create change since 1983. It is a National Portfolio Organisation core funded by Arts Council England.
Helix believes participation in creative activity is fundamental to the wellbeing of individuals and communities and therefore should be accessible to all - particularly those in our society with the least opportunities.
Helix works with people on arts, cultural and heritage projects that always have a clear objective, but whose results are always unexpected. The aim is to co-produce with people in an appropriate way to the starting point and develop bespoke journeys.
Helix Arts carefully nurtures supportive partnerships across a range of strategic and delivery organisations.
The organisation works with diverse artists to enable them to have the space and support they need to confidently work alongside community members.
Helix Arts will open its seminal archive to the public following a successful funding award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The company will open its archive in its new long-term home as part of the North Shields Cultural Quarter.
North Shields Cultural Quarter:
● Helps the cultural and creative economy in the town to grow and gives it a sustainable future
● Works with local artists and creative businesses to fund a programme of projects and events
● Provides training and skills development
● Offers bursary funding
● Helps strengthen and support the creative community
● Explores how culture and creativity can help drive place-based regeneration
● Is closely tied to our Ambition for North Shields and our High Street Heritage Action Zone
● Is one of three Cultural and Creative Zones funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, the other two in Newcastle and Berwick
● At its centre are the newly-restored Exchange Theatre, Globe Gallery and North Tyneside Business Centre, the new home of Helix Arts.
This project is part funded by the by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the North of Tyne Combined Authority Investment Fund with the North of Tyne Combined Authority as the lead authority.
North Shields Cultural Quarter is part of the North of Tyne Culture and Creative Zone programme. More details can be found here.