It has been a huge privilege for me to chair the Great Exhibition of the North board over the last two years. As our journey draws to a close, I am reminded of my first task as Chair — overseeing the judging of bids sent in from cities and venues across the North of England. NewcastleGateshead was the stand–out candidate and unequivocal choice to host the Exhibition. The judges were particularly impressed by the scale and ambition of the bid and by the beautiful buildings and landscapes which would become its stage. There was also an overwhelming spirit of collaboration, not just in NewcastleGateshead but across the North East, which gave us the reassurance that people would pull together to make it a success. This ambitious and collaborative approach has been maintained throughout the delivery process and I’m delighted and proud of what has been achieved. I have no doubt that the Great Exhibition will leave a lasting legacy for the people of the North.
Foreword
Sir Gary Verity, Chair of the Great Exhibition of the North Project Board
page 2 / 3 page 2 / 3
As the lead delivery partner for the Great Exhibition of the North, NewcastleGateshead Initiative has felt passionately about the project from the outset. There has never been such a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on our local area and on the wider North. The joy and excitement we all initially felt upon winning the bid was shortly followed by the realisation that we faced the daunting task of living up to the expectations we had set ourselves in the bid document. The hard work that then followed cannot be overstated. I am extremely proud, not only of the team at NGI, but also of all our partners who got behind us and supported us on our journey from writing the bid to event delivery. The wider NGI network, North East partners and Northern and national stakeholders all had an important part to play. I must give a special thanks to our funders and local delivery partners, particularly our hub partners, Exhibition venues and Newcastle and Gateshead councils. Their commitment has been unwavering, both towards the delivery process and in achieving our aims of engaging our audience, building pride and changing perceptions of the North. Carol Bell, Director of Major Events and Festivals at NewcastleGateshead Initiative and Executive Director of the Great Exhibition of the North
Contents page
04
Overview Introduction Our Vision Timeline The Great Exhibition of the North in Numbers Ten Ways We Celebrated the North Our Objectives
05 06 08 10 12 16
Objective 1: Attract an Audience of Three Million Three Crowd-Pullers Footfall Understanding Audiences Children and Families Get North Family Expo Schools Programme Get North The Business Sector and Creative Industries
18 20 22 24 25 26 28 30
Objective 2: Build Pride Amongst People Living and Working Across the North of England Ten Proud Northern Highlights Opening Event Volunteer Programme Local Pride Wider North Closing Weekend
32 36 38 40 42 44 46
Objective 3: Change Attitudes and Perceptions Towards the North of England as a Place to Live, to Work, to Study and to Invest Changing Perceptions Through Broadcast & Media Investment and Opinion Formers Greater Connectivity, New Partnerships and Opportunities
48 52 54 56
Contents
Legacy 58 References and Reflections Final Reflections from the NGI Great Exhibition of the North Delivery Team 62 Governance 63 Acknowledgements 64 Budget and Funding 64 Research Methodologies 66 Useful Links 68 Image credits 70 Anthem of the North
page 4 / 5
72
Over the summer of 2018 the North came together to celebrate the very best of its cultural and innovative talents in a unique show and tell: The Great Exhibition of the North. This report captures a wide range of views including the views of many of the Exhibition’s contributors, audiences and beneficiaries to provide an overview of what was achieved. It focuses on the Exhibition’s headline objectives and highlights its immediate impacts and legacy opportunities.
• Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums • BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art • Sage Gateshead • Newcastle City Council • Gateshead Council • The Great Run Company • Th e Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) • A board chaired by Sir Gary Verity
A number of methodologies were used to monitor and evaluate the Exhibition: • Th e Sustainable Tourism Research Intelligence Partnership Economic Impact model • Th e research community (www.northernvoice.org.uk) • Visitor surveys •D epth interviews with volunteers, contributors and stakeholders • Media evaluation • Social media monitoring • Footfall counts • App data •A nd specific surveys for the Get North Family Expo and volunteer and schools programmes The evaluation was managed by NewcastleGateshead Initiative and supported by colleagues from Newcastle City Council, University of Northumbria and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. More details of the approach taken to the evaluation is available on page 66 of this report and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
Introduction
The Great Exhibition of the North was first announced by government in April 2016 with the launch of a competition open to bids from towns and cities across the North of England. In October 2016, NewcastleGateshead was selected to host the Exhibition - with a bid led by NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI). Acting as lead delivery partner, NGI worked closely with colleagues at:
The Great Exhibition of the North was the largest event in England in 2018. At its heart was an ambition to show the world how the North of England’s great art and culture, design and innovation have helped shape all of our lives and are building the economy of tomorrow.
Our Vision
The Exhibition presented stories of the North through exhibits, performances, and immersive experiences. By attracting visitors from near and far, it aimed to transform global perceptions of Northern England and showcase the opportunities available to all. Set against the backdrop of NewcastleGateshead’s cityscape and the North as a whole, it was a unique chance to instil local pride, raise ambitions and inspire others to pursue exciting lives and careers in the North. By channelling funding into activity rather than infrastructure, the Exhibition focused its spotlight on existing venues, regeneration achievements and cultural expertise. It sought to build a legacy in more than bricks and mortar, by contributing to lasting economic impact and building new relationships with the whole North. Running for 80 days across the summer of 2018 (22 June to 9 September), the Exhibition was created for visitors of all ages and from all backgrounds from across
page 6 / 7
the North and wider UK. It engaged schools, local communities and innovative businesses and enhanced the North’s profile nationally and internationally. A diverse and inclusive Exhibition programme featured events and activities directly commissioned and curated by the Exhibition team, as well as those produced by organisations and community groups across the whole of the North. It was a collective production of Northern talent. Northern artists and performers, scientists and designers used physical and virtual content to demonstrate how the North is building tomorrow’s world, using inspiring and unexpected ways to excite and engage. The common thread weaving together their work was the desire to reveal how Northern innovation and imagination influence all our lives, not just in the North but across the world.
The following are examples of volunteer and public feedback. “ It was a great achievement to have won the bid to host the event. BIG challenge to deliver it though!” “ It was amazing to find out what a great area the North was for inventions and ideas and how it still remains an area of great innovation.” “ A fascinating and comprehensive exhibition for young and old alike.”
“ Nice to see something different every visit I make.” “ Loved everything but seeing the Rocket, doing the Aeons sound walk, watching Bridges at Sage and going to St James’ Park were a bit special.” “ Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity, and helping to make so many happy memories. [...] Shame it has to end — can we do it all again please?”
January 2018
The Great North Run is confirmed as part of the finale of the Exhibition. Get North Photography Competition is launched.
Confirmation that Stephenson’s Rocket will return to the region for the Exhibition.
Newcastle is named as the number one Place in the World to Visit in Rough Guides 2018.
December 2017
The creative team is announced and NewcastleGateshead Initiative launches a call out for ideas to animate the Innovation, Design and Art trails, drawn from across the North.
July 2017
March 2017
October 2016
Timeline
NewcastleGateshead is selected to host the Great Exhibition of the North.
page 8 / 9
Heritage Lottery Fund support is confirmed.
September 2017
The identity for the Exhibition is unveiled.
June 2017
January 2017
The major stakeholders agree the overall mission, vision and objectives for the Exhibition, building on the original bid criteria. The development and delivery of the programme begins in earnest.
Arts Council England support is confirmed. European Regional Development Fund support is confirmed.
22 June – The Great Exhibition of the North opens. Great Northern Soundtrack at Sage Gateshead.
The Hexagon Experiment series of events begins.
School visits continue until the end of term.
July 2018
4-6 July - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit. 2-15 July - 1UpNorth gaming showcase. Emerging Tech series of events begins.
School visits take place during the first week of term.
September 2018
June 2018 April 2018
February 2018
The volunteer programme is launched.
School visits begin.
The Get North 2018 Photography Competition winners are announced.
The Schools Programme is unveiled and hundreds of schools book in to attend the Exhibition. The Exhibition programme is announced.
2-9 August - Get North Family Expo.
August 2018
National Lottery funding to support the volunteer programme is confirmed.
March 2018
The Inspired By programme is launched, inviting people from Sheffield to the Scottish Borders to put forward ideas.
The Duke of Cambridge visits the Exhibition. 7-9 September – The Great Exhibition of the North closing weekend.
Over
Public impact
300 events, performances,
ÂŁ14m
installations and activities taking place across
80 days
final budget
The Exhibition was the main reason for
with 71% spent on
1.4m
programming
visits to
NewcastleGateshead over the summer
30
83
venues
NewcastleGateshead
core
3.8m
5.3m
NewcastleGateshead over
NewcastleGateshead
the summer engaged with
over the summer
visits to
total visits to
Exhibition content
The majority of events free to access
further locations in
1,175
generating an
Over
200
new partnerships
Contributor
formed with cultural
representation
organisations,
from every
businesses, educational
Northern county
people registered
to volunteer, contributing over
economic impact of
25,375 hours
ÂŁ126m
of support
organisations, local authorities and universities across the North
10
i n g a rt i s ts ,s
pro
in
lud
or
e
t i s ts a n d
tors
c to the
Over
n cie
n ve
0 co n ,00 tribu
rs to
The Great Exhibition of the North in Numbers
Size and scale
gramme in
c
Over
100 new artistic
works or commissions
page 10 / 11
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
72%
of visitors indicated the event had met
62%
of visitors agreed that the event appealed
85%
of NewcastleGateshead residents indicated they were proud to be the host destination
or exceeded their expectations
to all family members
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Benefits for Exhibition contributors
Broadcast and press BBC editorial content alone was
537
Inspired
By events in
different locations
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Gateshead Sunderland
Carlisle
127
across the North
Durham
seen and heard
91%
45%
Darlington
of projects indicate they had worked with new partners
Lancaster
75%
York Leeds
Preston
Hull
of those who developed new partnerships indicated that they expect to sustain them beyond 2018 Manchester Liverpool
Chester
3,218 articles were
generated between April 2016 and September 2018, delivering an AVE value of nearly
by an audience of more than
of projects indicated they would not have taken place without the Exhibition
A total number of
17 million
Regional press across the North accounted for 63% of article volume, while national press generated 37%.
ÂŁ26 million
63% 37%
right across the UK
Online media impact Combined reach of over
19 million
Over
across all Great
unique page views of the
Exhibition of
Exhibition website between
the North social
June 2017 and September
media channels
2018, with average monthly
from June 2017 –
unique visitors of
September 2018
1.9 million
61.7k
Ten Ways We Celebrated The North
An 80-day programme focused around three hubs and 30 core venues in NewcastleGateshead, which were connected by three themed walking trails- exploring Art, Design and Innovation. Content on the trails encouraged audiences to explore lesser-known venues across the cityscape, make new discoveries, spread the word of what they found and make repeat journeys. Activities extended off the trails to an additional 83 locations around NewcastleGateshead, through popup and Inspired By activity, widening audience choice still further. Northern provenance was at the heart of the programming decisions with contributors either based in the North, or having been born, raised or educated in the North. Content and talent drawn from all corners of the North was celebrated and shared in 10 ways.
page 12 / 13
01.
Three Hub Venues
Great North Museum was transformed into an immersive space, which took visitors on a journey that illuminated star exhibits and awe-inspiring stories of the North. The journey began by celebrating great exports from the North to the world and continued to explore the North’s reach from space to subsea.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art presented work inside its galleries by internationally renowned artists with strong roots or connections to the North. This included work by 2017 Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid, Michael Dean, Phil Collins, Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan, and an exhibition called Idea of North which included photography curated by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen. Across the Quayside, the team presented work by Tim Etchells, Jane and Louise Wilson and Ryan Gander. In the wider public realm, Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich’s The Worker’s Maypole delighted visitors and passerby in Newcastle city centre.
02.
04.
Walking Trails and Major Commissions
Get North! Opening Event
Emerging from these hubs, visitors further explored Northern art, design and innovation in 30 other venues and unexpected places along three walking routes. The trails were designed to open up the cityscape in a new way with behind-the-scenes opportunities and new experiences designed by local businesses, universities, community groups, makers, artists and performers. Creative practitioners were supported in creating their own responses to the Exhibition content, using new digital tools and technologies, through a talent development programme which was also supported by the BBC. Sage Gateshead gave a stage to artists and musicians from across the North, featuring established names and the next generation. Sage Gateshead programmed a Great Northern Soundtrack, curated by Lauren Laverne, and featured a series of live gigs and weekend festivals across the summer alongside a film Bridges by Ed Carter and a sound piece by Mark Fell. The events featured great Northern musicians of every genre (including collaborations with BBC Radio 3, 4 and 6) and celebrated the music that defines the North.
Over
100 new artistic works or
commissions Over
300 events, performances,
installations and activities within the core Exhibition programme
The Exhibition got off to a glittering start on 22 June with a large-scale opening event on the River Tyne and Quayside drawing together music and spectacles from across the North. Headline performances originated from Yorkshire and Cumbria, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds, including a live performance from Maximo Park. The event culminated with Lemn Sissay’s Anthem of the North and Europe’s first illuminated drone show from SKYMAGIC.
03.
Inspired By Programme
To extend the reach of the Exhibition spotlight, people from Sheffield to the Scottish Borders were invited to put forward their own events for inclusion in the Inspired By programme. This provided an opportunity to promote to an Exhibition audience some of the best festivals, exhibitions, organisations, museums, restaurants, breweries and talents of the whole North.
537 Inspired By events in 127 different locations across the North
05.
Schools Programme
The Schools Programme was designed to inspire children and young people to explore the part they will play in tomorrow’s North. The schools programme included a suite of downloadable teaching resources, online careers videos and extensive school visits to the Exhibition.
20,586 children visited the Exhibition through the schools programme
06.
Get North Family Expo
The Family Expo gave children and their families a chance to discover the themes of the Exhibition through a huge range of free interactive science and arts-based activities. Stretching out over two weeks of the school summer holidays, the event comprised a series of sessions supporting community and voluntary sector groups, including young carers, refugees and asylum seekers, along with public workshops and a family fun weekend.
19,500 children and their
families attended the Family Expo
07.
BBC Partnership
The Exhibition presented a unique opportunity to develop a new narrative for the North and a strategic partnership with the BBC helped to amplify this message. A raft of flagship BBC programmes broadcast live as part of the Exhibition, showcasing the best of the North and bringing the excitement of the Great Exhibition to every household. A mix of news, current affairs, sport and music was broadcast from NewcastleGateshead and other parts of the North throughout the summer, with high-profile presenters bringing Exhibition excitement to audiences via radio, television and online services.
BBC editorial content alone was seen
How We Achieved
and heard by an audience of more than
page 14 / 15
17 million right across the UK
25,375 hours volunteered
08.
Business Programme
The Exhibition engaged with hundreds of businesses throughout the 80 days. Events included the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, a three-day event which brought together businesses at all scales to showcase Northern innovation, and the Emerging Tech series of events. These events were part of the GX Project, which aims to provide a range of opportunities for North East SMEs and scaleups through a programme of activity which will run until October 2019.
09.
Closing Weekend
An outdoor performance called Great North Star, which celebrated the role of Women in the North past, present and future, was staged and broadcast to mark the closing weekend of the Exhibition. Featuring musical and theatrical performances from stars of television, athletics and music, it also cast Exhibition volunteers as creative participants. The world’s greatest half-marathon, the Great North Run, then provided the grand finale to the Exhibition.
10.
Volunteering Programme
A welcome party of more than 1,000 volunteers greeted visitors to NewcastleGateshead with our famous Northern warmth. They played a vital role in bringing the themes of the Exhibition to life, enhancing the visitor experience and adding to the story along the way. The volunteers are continuing to play a crucial role in supporting the aims of the Exhibition, acting as powerful Northern ambassadors.
The Exhibition programme was geared around three headline objectives, designed to deliver a powerful and compelling legacy: Attract an audience of three million (utilising physical and virtual content) Build pride amongst people living and working across the North of England
Our Objectives
Change attitudes and perceptions towards the North of England as a place to live, to work, to study and to invest.
page 16 / 17
In meeting these headline objectives, the Exhibition would also contribute towards the achievement of longerterm outcomes including:
• • • • • • •
ttracting more visitors to the A North from across the UK and overseas Boosting inward investment Attracting and retaining talent ncouraging more young E people to study STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) roviding opportunities for P people to access and participate in arts, heritage and culture emonstrating the placemaking D role of arts and culture aximising the economic M potential of the knowledge economy and creative sectors across the North.
Objective 1: Attract an Audience of Three Million page 18 / 19
Great Exhibitions usually occur once in a lifetime, providing a unique opportunity to attract local, national and international attention to the event’s host destination. The last time the North East hosted such an event was in 1929 with the North East Coast Exhibition. With this potential in mind, our aim was to attract an audience of three million to the 2018 Great Exhibition of the North, utilising physical and virtual content, and this was exceeded. page 20 / 21
NewcastleGateshead received more than five million visits over the summer, with nearly four million engaging with Exhibition content. The Exhibition was the primary reason for 1.4 million of these visits. Millions more attended Inspired By events from Sheffield to the Scottish Borders. A virtual audience of 19.7 million was reached via social media, digital content and broadcast content.
5.3m
total visits to NewcastleGateshead over the summer
The number of visits to NewcastleGateshead
22% from 4.4m in 2017. increased by
3.8m
visits to NewcastleGateshead over the summer engaged with Exhibition content
The Exhibition was the main reason for
1.4m
visits to NewcastleGateshead over the summer
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
Three Crowd-Pullers
02.
The Worker’s Maypole was seen by
millions*
of people in Newcastle city
centre this summer. Created by
The Get North Opening Event
Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich,
got visitor numbers off to a
the colourful and celebratory
flying start, with
transformation of Grey’s
20,000
people heading down to the
Monument paid tribute to
Quayside to enjoy the
and affirmed the North East’s
launch event.
achievements and feats for equality.
01.
Stephenson’s Rocket attracted
175,699 visits
when it returned to its birthplace for display at the Discovery Museum alongside a VR experience allowing visitors to experience a journey onboard the iconic engine.
* only people who said the Exhibition was the main reason for their visit are included the overall visitor figures on page 21 page 22 / 23
03.
Exhibition walking trails drove footfall to nonvisitor attractions, such as Ryder Architecture and the Mining Institute, raising their profile and encouraging engagement. Work in a variety of other diverse spaces allowed for pop-up and interactive experiences.
“ Have lived in Sunderland all my life and it was the first time I have visited some of the venues in Newcastle.” public feedback {Mining Institute} “Loved to be part of this brilliant exhibition. Over 350 members of public and school groups had visited by 2pm which is exceptional.” volunteer
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
There were of course variations in attendance. Some venues, including those on the extreme ends of each trail, didn’t experience the same levels as those in more central locations. Many of these venues did however benefit from hosting business events and school visits. It also became apparent that many visitors did not follow the full trails, instead picking and choosing which venues and exhibits they would like to visit. Hotel bookings in NewcastleGateshead reached record levels with more than 505,000 hotel rooms occupied during Great Exhibition of the North – a 5% growth on the number of rooms sold during the same period in 2017. 100,000 additional journeys were made via Tyne and Wear Metro during the Great Exhibition period – with 43% of visitors arriving at the Exhibition by public transport.
" The Great Exhibition of the North was a fantastic event highlighting the pioneering spirit and contribution of the North. It gave the hotel teams a real buzz talking to our guests about the events and exhibitions taking place and certainly enhanced our visitors’ time in Newcastle." James Doyle, General Manager, Crowne Plaza Newcastle
Newcastle City Guides Welcome Record Numbers of Visitors Newcastle City Guides are a group of trained and qualified volunteers who provide interesting and informative walks on the history and heritage of Newcastle, Gateshead and Tyneside. Pat Lowery, Chair of Newcastle City Guides, said: “It was an extremely busy summer for the City Guides, with more people than ever before joining our tours. On our City Highlights tours alone, we welcomed 811 tour participants representing 34 different nationalities! This is an increase of nearly 20% compared to last year’s attendances. “It was fantastic to see so many people from so many different places choosing to visit Newcastle and Gateshead. The Great Exhibition of the North really has helped to put the region on the map!”
Footfall
Two thirds of venues/content creators saw a change in their audience profile as a result of being part of the Exhibition. Two thirds said their audience was much more varied than usual with the same proportion saying they had seen an increase in the number of families they had welcomed. One in three visitors stayed longer than usual in venues.
CASE STUDY
Many of the Great Exhibition venues saw record footfall. Visits to the four key venues (Great North Museum, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Sage Gateshead and Discovery Museum) were on average 50% higher over the summer period compared to summer 2017.
Understanding Audiences
The Great Exhibition of the North was designed primarily for a family audience, while also appealing to everyone and being accessible to all.
Audiences came from
4%
International
11%
Audiences ranged from visiting families and schoolchildren to SMEs looking for profile and investment and major Northern companies seeking to capitalise on new opportunities. Diverse programming provided reasons for audiences to return time and again throughout the summer and in different capacities – whether seeking fun with the family at the Get North Family Expo, cultural exploration with friends along the trails or career development opportunities with colleagues through engagement with the business programme. Community and stakeholder engagement, public programming, and marketing and advertising activity helped to attract audiences from diverse backgrounds. The Get North Family Expo and schools programme in particular sought to engage hard to reach communities.
page 24 / 25
44%
NewcastleGateshead
Rest of UK
5.3m
“ I had several guests from outside the North East visit, some from overseas, they were all really impressed.” public feedback
total visits to NewcastleGateshead over the summer
41% Wider North
were overnight visits while
volunteer
“ Again met some wonderful people children from South Africa and a Russian lady and her grandson.” volunteer
Of the
18%
“ Lots of people here visiting for a few days especially for the Great Exhibition of the North which was good to hear, people from Hull, Liverpool, London & Germany to name a few.”
8% were
first time visits to NewcastleGateshead.
The average party size was two adults and one child.
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
“ It was a really fun day with lots of interesting activities to do. It was great that it was free so that families who are struggling for money could attend. Family Expo community group participant
“ We have taken our kids all over the Great Exhibition of the North over the summer hols, we also went to Boston, USA. When my 6-year-old saw a big sign in the Science Museum saying ‘innovation’ she turned to me wand said ‘innovation’ - that’s what we do in Gateshead.” { Whistlejacket} “WOW! An absolute masterpiece, and the little girl who had horses stood beside me saying it was just a perfect painting of a horse, how did he get the detail? I don’t think she will ever forget it and neither will I.” volunteer
Family fun was at the heart of Exhibition programming with events and activities designed to engage audiences of all ages. Innovative use of technology and presentation techniques also helped start conversations with young people about a wide range of societal challenges pertinent to their world. Access to the thinking of world-class experts demonstrated how the North is leading the way on everything from renewable energies to regenerative medicines. Interactive activities engaged young people, encouraging the next generation to carry on this work. Marketing materials and a way-finding app helped family audiences navigate their way around Exhibition trails. Characters BUD and POD from Grow Up and Grow Home games – designed in the North by Ubisoft Reflections – joined kids for fun challenges along the way and highlighted points of interest.
87% of visitors agreed that the event appealed to all family members
Children and Families
visitor
“The Get North Family Expo was a fantastic opportunity for parents and children to have fun together while learning about the wonders of science, sport, innovation and technology. We hope this free event has inspired children of all ages to be more creative - who knows where it might lead them!”
More than
19,500
children and
their families enjoyed the Get North Family Expo at St James’ Park. The series of events and workshops was dedicated to capturing the imaginations of children, inspiring future generations and developing new skills. A high level of engagement was achieved with harder-to-reach communities, with at least 22% of attendees to the Family Expo coming from the 30% most deprived postcodes in Newcastle and Gateshead.
page 26 / 27
CASE STUDY
Get North Family Expo
Cllr Angela Douglas, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, Gateshead Council
Barnardo’s Joins in the Fun at Family Expo Community Days Organisers of the Family Expo reached out to a wide range of community groups to ensure children from all backgrounds had a chance to get involved. Barnardo’s was among the many that welcomed the invitation.
The children engaged well in all activities as did the adults they brought along. The free football tickets were very much appreciated by the families too!”
Danielle Frank, Project Worker at Byker Sands Family Centre, said: “This was a great experience for the families who participated. Everything was included so that the families didn’t need to worry about costs. This included travel costs and lunches as well as free activities for all of the families.
“Thank you for this experience, I would never have been able to do this for my children.”
Comments from families and children included:
“I dream of being a professional footballer.” “It has been lovely spending time as a family doing activities together.”
Helen Baker, Senior Manager at Accenture, said: “The Family Expo was a fantastic way to engage not just children, but also their families, so they can also learn about the interesting and impactful jobs available in technology. The Family Expo was a fantastic event to engage young people across all STEAM subjects and Accenture are delighted to have been part of it.”
“ Brilliant Family Expo. An exhausting weekend but the best event of the whole exhibition. A real sense of community, great diversity of people, children brimming with ideas and creativity, even parents learnt new skills! volunteer “ Happy to know the children had a lovely time doing interesting and practical activities in the summer, as we cannot afford any paid-for activities. It felt good to be invited in such an important landmark in Newcastle, together with people from all over the region, we felt welcome and included.” Family Expo community group participant
“ My son has severe learning disabilities and he doesn’t get out much so this was important for us.” Family Expo community group participant
“Great time for kids, so much to try” Family Expo visitor
“ One of my highlights of the Great Exhibition of the North was unquestionably the Get North Family Expo at St James Park. This was a week of fantastic activities designed to intrigue and excite local children of all ages from all backgrounds and teach them more about the exhibition’s themes in a fun and engaging way. “ We wanted this event to inspire the future generations of our city and the local area, and open the world of science, innovation, art and culture up to everyone. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I feel we achieved this. Being there and seeing how this experience has potentially changed the future ambitions of our city’s young people was genuinely a moving experience.” Cllr Kim McGuiness, Cabinet Member For Culture, Sport And Public Health, Newcastle City Council Children Create Artwork Showcasing Their Pride in the North Set of Drawers, a Newcastle-based illustration collective, worked with hundreds of children on the Magpie Draws North project, recording what they love most about their part of the world.
CASE STUDY
Accenture hosted activities at the Family Expo to give children and families fun, hands-on opportunities to learn about technology. Forty Accenture volunteers supported hundreds of children and their families/carers over the five-day event to learn skills around HTML coding, programming of robots and 3D printing.
CASE STUDY
Accenture Get Families Excited About STEAM
Bethan Laker of Set of Drawers said: “The teachers and children were clearly delighted to have time to draw and create with professional illustrators, especially because the work celebrated the North and its achievements. “The Set of Drawers artists facilitated the workshops and acted as magpies, collecting drawings and artworks and taking them away to create beautiful banners and bunting. These were created for and revealed at the Get North Family Expo and after returned to each school to be treasured, as a reminder of their contribution to the Great Exhibition and celebrating their wonderful region.”
The Get North Schools Programme welcomed a total of 20,586 young people aged 4 to 17 to the Exhibition. Visits were free of charge and schools were able to tailor them dependent on the subject focus or venues they wanted to visit.
Get North Schools Programme
More than 94,000 learning and development hours were provided through the schools’ visits, with 81% of schools expressing satisfaction and 84% saying they would recommend the visit to a colleague. Thousands of additional school connections were also made with individual venues. Like the majority of the Exhibition, schools’ visits were offered as a free-to-access opportunity. Teachers were sent Exhibition-linked educational resources and guides in advance of their visit, which was designed to be independently undertaken. However, some teachers indicated subsequently that they would have valued additional specialists to accompany them on the day of their visit. The schools programme also included a suite of 11 downloadable teaching resources, tailored to different Key Stages, to support learning in the classroom, and 16 online careers videos for young people to find out more about career pathways across the North.
74%
of schools said they would take their
Exhibition experience back into the classroom to build on their curriculum and learning in design, engineering, science and arts.
page 28 / 29
School feedback “ From the moment we left the bus my students were taken on an exciting journey from audio, visual through to installation. I overheard them throughout the visit expressing positive and inquisitive comments about what they were seeing. At no point did anyone complain or express boredom [...] I hope this translates positively in the following months leading to their exams.” “ Absolutely brilliant well done! Best trip I have taken a class on in 10 years! Such rich heritage, relevant information and inspiring activities to engage children and raise aspirations!” “ It is an incredible opportunity for our children to get an understanding of the North and what people from the North have achieved. We hope it will inspire our children to think about what they can achieve.” “ We are going to design our own houses based on self-built utopia at the Northern Stage and we are going to design our own maypole like Monument.” “ We are going to use knowledge gained to explore more contemporary art in lessons and to sketch to music.”
Pulser Cast by Andrew, age 9
CASE STUDY
Little Inventors North 2030 Challenge Little Inventors asked children from across the North to imagine their lives in the year 2030 and come up with ingenious inventions. Over 2,000 ideas were submitted and selected designs were brought to life by Northern makers and showcased during the Exhibition. Andrew’s Pulser Cast was one of the stand out ideas from the North 2030 Challenge. He came up with an ingenious solution to a problem he observed, that muscles around broken bones can waste away when constricted by plaster casts. Organisers of Little Inventors contacted the NHS Innovation Unit at Sunderland City Hospitals about his idea to embed electrical stimulation into a plaster cast. They were very enthusiastic and immediately invited Andrew in to make a prototype with the casting department.
Wheel Pusher by Leona, age 10
Charlotte Fox, NHS Innovation Manager, said: "We absolutely loved Andrew’s idea. It solves a real-world problem and has the potential to help patients who have a broken bone. Our staff in Medical Physics and the Fracture Clinic team joined forces, using their expertise to take Andrew’s drawing and help him create his invention." Dominic Wilcox from Little Inventors said: “This connection has led to further discussions on Little Inventors and the NHS working together on future projects. It is a great way to engage young people into serious subjects such as healthcare with a focus on innovation and great ideas.”
High-Stand Spring Shoes by Ryan, age 11
The Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, which took place 4-6 July, was the central experience for businesses during the Exhibition. The Summit included an outstanding line up of over 60 speakers, including a keynote address from the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, and a range of workshops and showcases to inspire businesses with stories of innovation across industry. It also promoted gender equality through its balanced programme.
page 30 / 31
Software solutions company Soficus is among the many SMEs and scaleups to benefit from the Exhibition’s GX Project. Building on the Exhibition’s theme of innovation, the GX Project provided opportunities for innovative local businesses during the summer and continues to run a programme of intensive business support until October 2019. Dimitar Ivanov, Owner and Director at Soficus, said: “It was great to participate in the Emerging Tech in Smart Cities and in the Emerging Tech in Healthcare events organised by the GX
team. Both events were very well curated with knowledgeable presenters and attendees with academic and industry backgrounds. “Exciting past projects and future opportunities were discussed in the panels of both events. Moreover, the GX team was very helpful in highlighting funding and support opportunities for SMEs working in the Digital and Healthcare sectors. We’ve managed to make several connections with key people which hopefully will be leading to commercial projects for our business.”
CASE STUDY
Local Software Company Benefits from GX Project
CASE STUDY
The Business Sector and Creative Industries
New Northern partnerships, projects and events generated by the Exhibition brought about exciting opportunities for the business sector and creative industries. Events including the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit and the Emerging Tech series, both part of the ongoing GX Project, collectively attracted more than 1,000 business delegate attendees.
BeaconHouse Events Delivers Northern Powerhouse Business Summit BeaconHouse Events helped to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, looking after all the logistics, suppliers and onsite delivery for the event. The team also created a design for the Summit, working closely with Northern partners Wayne Hemingway and his team at Hemingway Design. Sarah Thackray, Director at BeaconHouse Events, said: “We really enjoyed working on such a collaborative project, and engaging with local Northern suppliers to deliver some bespoke content and opportunities which really showcased the strengths of the North. Following our delivery of the Summit, we were approached to deliver a business reception for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that took place at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art the day of the regional cabinet meeting, where the Chancellor of the Exchequer met and engaged with local business people.”
LNER used the opportunity of the Exhibition to showcase its latest work and inspire visitors about the future of rail travel and careers in the industry. Katey Ellen, Innovation Engagement Lead at LNER said: “For the duration of the Great Exhibition of the North, we had a dedicated LNER Innovation Room at the Discovery Museum. This was home to some of our coolest innovation projects, all of which were interactive. We had over 30,000 visitors who came to have a go at driving our new Azuma train on our simulator, look around the inside/outside of the new trains on our Azuma Familiarisation app, and immerse themselves in our VR experience, showing behind-thescenes roles at LNER. Our aim was to raise awareness of how important innovation in rail is, whilst inspiring people to travel by train and consider a career at LNER.�
CASE STUDY
LNER Showcases Innovative Content
Objective 2: Build Pride Amongst People Living and Working Across the North of England page 32 / 33
A critical aim of the Exhibition was to generate an increased sense of pride, confidence and ambition in the North. There is clear evidence that pride was built amongst people living and working in Northern England as a direct result of Exhibition activity, with 85% of NewcastleGateshead residents saying they were proud to be the host destination. NewcastleGateshead has earned itself an enviable reputation as a successful host for major sporting and cultural events in recent years, but the Exhibition raised the scale of our ambitions to new levels. Our ability to deliver an event on this scale translated directly into a feeling of pride with Northern people. By showcasing present and future innovation and creativity of the North, as well as inventors and artists of the past, the Exhibition allowed local residents to explore and understand the unique strengths and cultural identity of the North today. Visitors discovered new reasons to be proud, confident and positive about the future – for themselves, for their children and for generations to come. Great thinkers, makers and creators shared their very latest work with each other and the rest of the world across platforms and artforms. Career-defining moments were created and lasting memories made.
“ It was an honour to write and perform at the greatest exhibition of the North” Lemn Sissay MBE page 34 / 35
“ It instilled a great sense of pride to see all of the wonderful things the North has to offer made into a spectacular showcase for everyone to enjoy.” public feedback “ I always have been proud of NewcastleGateshead and from the opening ceremony to the end we proved how good we can be at putting on big events and we all should be proud.” public feedback
“ The activities and atmosphere in the city made it fun and I was proud to see all of the things that people from the North had been involved in.” public feedback “ I absolutely love the North, especially Newcastle, and it made me feel so proud to have the North be the centre of attention and be showcased for all the amazing people and things we have here. It made me feel part of something big and meaningful showing that London isn't everything and that we're unique and fantastic too.” public feedback “ I am now even more aware of the achievements made in the North of England and so even more proud of my Northern roots.” public feedback “ I have visited with the staff team and my class. I will be back with my partner and our children in the holidays, and also when my sister and family visit from Aylesbury. They are coming up especially for the Exhibition. We currently have family visiting Newcastle from Australia – they were at the opening night, and have visited the exhibitions. It's all making me very proud to be a Northerner.” teacher
85% of local residents said they were proud to have the Exhibition in NewcastleGateshead
59% agreed that it had brought a sense of community to the local area
63% of venues agreed that their activity had helped to instil pride in the North
1 in 4 visitors 99% of visitors to the Family Expo said they felt proud to have the Exhibition in NewcastleGateshead
30% of overnight visitors stayed with friends and relatives, demonstrating pride in the local audience who showed friends and relatives what NewcastleGateshead has to offer
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
from the North said they had
been inspired to find out more about something they had seen.
Ten Proud Northern Highlights
1. 6.
The Rocket returned to its birthplace and was accompanied at Discovery Museum by Hedgehog Lab’s Rocket Reimagined in augmented and virtual reality. Which Way North brought together over 200 loan items from across the UK to Great North Museum.
page 28 / 29 page 36 / 37
2. 7.
Continuing the theme of future transport, LNER’s Azuma train appeared together with the virtual reality Azuma train driver experience. Lauren Laverne’s Great Northern Soundtrack brought some of the best musical talent of the North to Sage Gateshead.
getnorth2018.com / info@getnorth2018.com /
3. 8.
Ryder Architect’s work on high-speed travel solution of tomorrow, Hyperloop High-profile opening and closing events attracted huge
getnorth2018
One, was presented in a fun, engaging way for families.
audiences on the ground and online.
4. 9.
Leeds’ Opera North brought their sound out of the opera house and along the banks of the Tyne, in collaboration with Martin Green.
1upNorth Gaming Showcase used the greatest games created in the North of England.
5. 10.
Grey’s Monument was transformed into The Worker’s Maypole by Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich, working with BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Northern Powerhouse Business Summit brought together government ministers, the Governor of the Bank of England and Northern mayors with business leaders to shape the next stage of Northern Powerhouse through panel discussions, exhibitions, workshops and speeches.
The Exhibition got off to a glittering start on 22 June with a large-scale opening event on the River Tyne and Quayside. Opening with street theatre and music drawn from across the North, the evening was built around pieces commissioned from Maximo Park, Darkstar and Kate Rusby, featuring Royal Northern Sinfonia. Music from Graham Massey and Mr Wilson’s Second Liners entertained the crowds lining the quayside, along with Northern street artists and bands, in the run up to Maximo Park’s live performance on the river.
Opening Event
The commissions from Maximo Park, Kate Rusby and Darkstar accompanied the first of 1,000 performances of the Get North Water Sculpture. This was followed by the world premiere by Lemn Sissay of his Anthem of the North on the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the European premiere by SKYMAGIC of an illuminated drone swarm.
“ Thank you for the opportunity to be part of such an amazing, important, invaluable event. The North is my passion, thank you for the chance to convey that.” Kate Rusby
“ We were very happy to be asked to write a new song for the Great Exhibition of the North. It’s been a privilege to work with Hugh Brunt and the Royal Northern Sinfonia, hearing our song come to life.” Paul Smith, Maximo Park
page 38 / 39
CASE STUDY
With ambitious projects of this kind, inevitably there is a degree of risk. The Get North Water Sculpture was undoubtedly ambitious in scale and scope and it premiered on the 22 June as an integral part of the opening event, alongside three specially commissioned soundtracks. During the rest of the Exhibition, Visitors were encouraged to listen to the soundtracks on Soundcloud, but few people took up this opportunity and the commission was arguably not as impactful or engaging as a result. In addition, our original ambition was for the central jets of water to reach 100 metres in height and a positive collaboration with a subsea engineering firm was established to develop the engineering capability. However, time constraints meant that we were unable to undertake the technical testing required to realise this. The water jets nevertheless reached a height of around 50 metres (level with the bottom of the Tyne Bridge).
The spectacular drone display on the opening night was another key area where we had to balance ambition with risk. Displays of this nature can only go ahead in dry weather; Leeds based NEWSUBSTANCE had successfully delivered similar displays in much more temperate climates. It was, however felt that the inclusion of the drones would fit perfectly with the Exhibition’s key aims and themes, showcasing Northern innovation in a remarkable way and on a grand scale. The delivery team was therefore committed to making it happen, despite the risks involved regarding inclement weather, and were delighted that favourable conditions on the night resulted in the UK’s first ever large-scale drone display.
SKYMAGIC Drone Display Leeds’ NEWSUBSTANCE capitalised on the platform of the opening night of the Exhibition to launch their global brand SKYMAGIC, an exciting joint venture to deliver drone shows across the world. Showreels featuring the Exhibition’s opening night drone show have been seen by SKYMAGIC’s clients around the world and the company has since
delivered shows in Dubai and Frankfurt. The illuminated drone swarm was trailblazing, the first in the UK, and the Civil Aviation Authority played their crucial role in agreeing permissions and visiting the take-off and landing site during set-up and run. Building on this ground-breaking UK outing, conversations are now under way between SKYMAGIC and several UK cities for future performances.
SKYMAGIC Director Patrick O’Mahony said: “With roots in the North of England, we are very proud to be part of the Great Exhibition of the North. As one of only a few companies in the world with the resource, expertise and vision to deliver performance drones, we are delighted to have the opportunity to perform on home turf.”
Volunteer Programme
An important part of our bid to host the Exhibition was an ambition to recruit a large-scale volunteer team, whose members could take ownership of the event as proud and passionate Northern ambassadors. The volunteering programme was launched in February 2018, with opportunities for individuals, groups and businesses – including young people and those seeking employment or those looking to build their experience and skill set. A total of 1,175 people responded to the call out, with people aged 16 to 78 registering to get involved. Collectively they contributed over 25,375 hours of support. With the scale and diversity of the Exhibition, volunteer roles varied greatly from leading school trips along the trails to signposting visitors to venues and cycling along the Quayside to support Aeons. The volunteer programme proved an overwhelming success on many levels. Volunteers added their own charm and knowledge to the visitor experience and provided invaluable practical support to Exhibition delivery teams. In return, volunteers reported improvements to their own personal development, with the team embracing the chance to learn new things and meet new friends. They also expressed pride in being part of the Exhibition and of their own contributions.
page 40 / 41
1 in 3 volunteers were
volunteering for the first time when they got involved with the Exhibition;
99% said they plan to volunteer again in the future
Despite the success of the volunteer programme, the Exhibition content relied heavily on volunteers and, although we were grateful for the high number of exceptional volunteers involved, the delivery team still faced challenges ensuring sufficient cover during busy periods.
51%
51% said volunteering had exceeded their expectations
84% 59%
84% of volunteers said they had increased levels of pride in the area in which they lived as a result of volunteering while 59% said they had developed new skills
70% 78%
70% of those who volunteered but were not originally from the North East said they now know the area better and 78% say they now better understand the communities in the North East
Volunteer feedback and comments “ It not only improved the level of my skills, but also gave the chance to make a lot of new friends, and also to experience the culture of this country and to build my communication skills.” “ When I decided to volunteer at every venue I went to some places that were a bit out of my comfort zone. I now realise, in some ways, I had lost a bit of confidence since becoming a widow and retiring from work.” “ I am valued and have old and new knowledge to share. I can adapt and work with new people again. I am stronger than I think, giving it a go, trying my best and giving more when my best was good enough.” “ I have become a little more accepting, tolerant and patient. I am already an easy-going person but sometimes you get reminders to be more appreciative of life.” “I think that the Great Exhibition of the North has been a resounding success and I have been proud to be part of it.” “I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it made me feel proud to wear the uniform.”
The Exhibition provided the first opportunity for many companies to involve all colleagues in a joint project. Ryder Architecture in Newcastle reported having benefited from reinforced internal collaborative working, with around 100 members of the team getting involved in delivering the visitor experience offered in Horse to Hyperloop. The project was unique in involving so many of its employees. Companies involved in RTC North’s Northern Design Quest said they were proud to be featured as part of the Exhibition.
Local Residents
Local Pride
A local pride campaign highlighted ways those living and working along the Exhibition trails could get involved with the event. Marketing materials and downloadable toolkits gave local businesses the tools to promote their support and helped to raise the profile of the event. Many cultural projects engaged with local communities in developing the programme and telling their stories. Mind the Gap worked with Geordie Mums, to tell stories of learning disabled adults and parenthood. D6: Culture in Transit worked with refugees and asylum seekers to develop Delicate Shuttle for Newcastle Library.
page 42 / 43
CASE STUDY
Businesses
Ruth Dingwall, overall winner of the Great Exhibition of the North Photography Competition Ruth was one of more than 1,000 amateur and professional photographers who responded to the challenge to capture the essence of what they believe makes the North of England ‘Great’. Her winning photo was taken from the Tyne Bridge after watching the Great North Run in 2017. She said: “Winning the competition was extremely overwhelming and to know Sirkka Liisa Konttinen was
a judge was very poignant as I had studied her work during my degree. I have always admired her affiliation with and affection for our great city. “Winning the competition has enabled me to promote and sell my photographs and establish a successful presence on different social media platforms. My winning photograph was available to buy in the BALTIC and Fenwick and has been bought by many friends and colleagues, along with other North East images.
The schools over 14 years old winning photograph, captured by Daisy Barnes, a pupil at The Duchess’s Community High School in Alnwick.
The schools under 14 years old winning photograph, captured by Sanika Rajput, a pupil at St Ann’s R.C Primary School in Manchester.
Ruth’s winning photograph
“I made a conscious decision to volunteer during the Great Exhibition as I wanted to interact with the public and help them appreciate our magnificent arts and culture scene, but also our wonderful city. I volunteered at the Side Gallery as photography is my preferred medium and I felt compelled to engage with the public about the wonderful gallery that has been on our doorstep since 1977.
CASE STUDY
Gateshead College Students Showcase Talents Students from Gateshead College were inspired to create a mural on the side of their building, which was located on the Design Trail. Curriculum Leader for Art and Design Sharon Fenwick said: “Our Level 3 art and design students loved being part of this year’s Great Exhibition of the North. Everyone taking part in the Design Trail had the opportunity to see the students’ fabulous artwork displayed in dramatic style on the side of our Baltic Campus and they were really proud that their sketches were seen by so many people.”
The Inspired By programme extended the pride of the Exhibition far beyond NewcastleGateshead. People from Sheffield to the Scottish Borders were invited to put forward their own events for inclusion in the programme. This provided an opportunity to promote to the Exhibition audience some of the best festivals, exhibitions, organisations, museums, restaurants, breweries and talents of the wider North.
Whole North
An estimated 5 million people attended 537 events in 127 different locations across the North of England: 15 cities, 54 villages and 58 towns. The events were promoted together as a collection through the Get North website and social media.
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Carlisle
Durham
Darlington
Lancaster
The Inspired By series included public art installations located in the Tees Valley landscape and 56 days of family-friendly arts, culture, heritage and adventure across Northumberland venues with Great Northumberland.
page 44 / 45
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Gateshead Sunderland
York Leeds
Preston
Manchester Liverpool
Chester
Hull
CASE STUDIES
Inspired By Programme Northern Powerhouse Brew Series
Inspired By Programme Great Northumberland
Wylam Brewery curated a series of collaboration brews with other independent craft breweries from the North of England as part of the Exhibition’s Inspired By programme and released them under the moniker Northern Powerhouse Brew Series. All the beers were brewed at Wylam Brewery in their home at The Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park, Newcastle, which is fittingly the last remaining building from the city’s 1929 Exhibition. The beers were packed in 440ml cans and travelled around the globe.
As part of the “Inspired by” programme Northumberland County Council devised and developed Great Northumberland, an eightweek celebration of arts, culture and heritage in Northumberland.
Wylam’s Director Dave Stone said: “It’s exciting to think that these little parcels of Northern Craftsmanship made their way around the world celebrating the unity of industry in the North. All the breweries involved are extremely passionate about the heritage of the towns and cities they operate in and this project gave them a fantastic opportunity to showcase the history of industry in each place. “Without the Great Exhibition of the North acting as a catalyst, this project would never have borne fruit. The legacy of the Exhibition will roll forward into 2019 as Wylam passes the baton to Leedsbased Northern Monk who will curate the 2019 edition.” The participating breweries were: Buxton, Cloudwater (Manchester), Black Lodge (Liverpool), Northern Monk (Leeds), Magic Rock (Huddersfield), Hawkshead (Kendal), Thornbridge (Sheffield), Box Social (Newcastle).
Inspired By Programme – Bradford Bradford enthusiastically embraced the themes of the Great Exhibition of the North. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in a series of exciting Inspired By events throughout the summer including the Science Festival and the Literature Festival. Activities culminated in the Bradford Bubble Up, a city-wide celebration of Bradford’s deep connection with water and a showcase for the creativity and spirit of its citizens. Highlights included a 100-metre water slide, a new performance created by award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke, in the Mirror Pool - the UK’s largest urban water feature - and a hugely popular late-night ‘underwater’ disco curated and produced by adults with learning disabilities. Eleanor Barrett, Co-Director of The Brick Box and Co-Producer of the Bubble Up, said: “Our ‘Inspired by’ programme gave us a fantastic opportunity to showcase Bradford’s unique creative spirit which bubbled up exuberantly across the city and created a real sense of pride and togetherness. We were delighted to be able to take part.” The full list of Inspired By events and activities can be viewed online at www.GetNorth2018.com/inspired-bygreat-exhibition-of-the-north'
Great Northumberland saw a range of familyfriendly events from all corners of the county. It launched with an extravaganza of street theatre in Hexham and closed with a parade and performance of specially composed suite of music The Great Song of the North in Berwick. There was also outdoor theatre in Prudhoe by Mortal Fools, an installation of 600 handmade cloth sails at Blyth Beach, and a specially commissioned exhibition at Cheeseburn Sculpture which captured the movement of dance in bronze casts. Cllr Cath Homer, Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture, Leisure & Tourism at the council, said: “Great Exhibition of the North placed the spotlight on the North and we wanted to make sure that Northumberland was part of that. Great Northumberland was an excellent opportunity to showcase our county’s rich heritage, unique traditions and fabulous landscape, while also demonstrating our forward-thinking approach to environmental innovation and digital technology.”
Closing Weekend
To mark the closing weekend of the Exhibition, a performance called Great North Star was created to be shown across the UK on the BBC. It was streamed live on Friday 7 September with an edited version broadcast the following day as part of the Great North City Games BBC coverage. This outdoor performance celebrated the spirit of the area and was timed to coincide with preparations for the world’s largest half marathon, the Great North Run.
page 46 / 47
Honouring the women of the North of England, Great North Star took inspiration from the centenary year of the first women in Britain getting the right to vote. It featured musical and theatrical performances from stars of television, athletics and music. The performance was written by Manchester’s awardwinning playwright, poet and performer Louise Wallwein with choreography from balletLORENT working with Bradley Hemmings. Exhibition volunteers were invited to attend as a thank you for their invaluable support and many featured as creative participants. The world’s greatest half-marathon, the Great North Run, then formed the centrepiece to the closing weekend on Sunday 9 September.
Audience feedback “Both my children refer to people who do impressive things as their ‘North Stars’, referencing the closing ceremony performance.” “Proud to be Northern, proud of our beautiful city and area. Proud of all the things invented, designed and created UpNorth. Proud to be a volunteer, proud to represent 1 of 100 woman in the Great North Star closing performance.” “I loved the closing ceremony think BalletLORENT did an amazing job with the volunteers.”
Objective 3: Change Attitudes and Perceptions Towards the North of England as a Place to Live, to Work, to Study and to Invest page 48 / 49
The desire to change attitudes and perceptions of the North externally was a headline aim of the Exhibition. A renewed reputation and better understanding of the North’s unique strengths will help attract skilled workers to live in the North, help businesses recruit and retain the best talent and help universities attract students. A step change in external perceptions of the culture and innovation offer of the North relied on achieving positive media coverage and marketing activity, as well as an increased pride in residents, visitors and contributors who would act as ambassadors, speaking positively about the area to others. By shifting the spotlight North, the Exhibition provided a unique opportunity to develop a new narrative for the North. While celebrating how our big ideas of the past made history, the Exhibition demonstrated that our glory days of invention and achievement are far from over. Programme content brought into clear focus how the breakthroughs and innovations of today are shaping the world of tomorrow, such as showcasing the world’s largest mixed reality display Deepframe with Animmersion. Northern attributes celebrated and promoted also included glorious landscapes; cuttingedge work opportunities; world-leading universities; and major industries in advance manufacturing and materials, digital and creative, medical innovation, energy and transport.
page 50 / 51
The impact on perceptions of the North will take time to be fully realised but initial indications are positive, with 56% saying that visiting the Exhibition had enhanced their opinion of the North and 84% of visitors saying they would recommend NewcastleGateshead to friends and relatives.
“ The Aeons sound walk for me personally made me look at a city I have lived in for 10 years, in a completely different way.” visitor
72%
56%
57%
84%
said that visiting Great Exhibition of the North had enhanced their opinion of the North
of venues agreed that visitors to their venue left with a different perception of the North
of visitors said they would recommend NewcastleGateshead to friends and relatives
90%
91%
28%
83%
of visitors said they were inspired to find out more about what they had seen on their visit.
of visitors to the Family Expo felt inspired
felt the Exhibition had changed perceptions of NewcastleGateshead
felt the Exhibition inspired children to study STEAM
felt that the Exhibition had achieved its ambitions
89% felt the Exhibition had showcased the whole of the North
51% of those who attended the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit made new contacts
“ I was already aware that the North is an outstanding area for innovations in health especially cancer treatments but not aware of innovations in other areas such as engineering.” visitor “ One of the nicest comments of “ I’d say it has made me more aware the day came from a woman who of the innovation and technologies was visiting the museum to pass that are being developed in our cities some time away while her son was – emerging digital tech for example.” visiting the university, she said that visitor she was enjoying the exhibits and that I had changed her vision of “ Having met some of the visitors what she expected the ‘North’ to to the region I’m surprised at how be. We had a good discussion and many have been amazed at what decided that she would spread the the region is like. There’s still a view word about how the north is not the of the North as a very industrial stereotypical place that southerners area and not the modern vibrant sometimes imagine...” volunteer area that it is.” visitor
The Exhibition built upon years of cultural regeneration in NewcastleGateshead and across cities in the wider North, so for some people, who were already aware of the North’s strengths, it confirmed rather than changed their positive perceptions.
“ I have always been aware of what great things are in Gateshead and Newcastle, so my perceptions remain the same, but I think people outside the area will have been educated.” visitor “ It hasn’t changed my perception it has just broadened it. I’m a photographer so have explored Newcastle on foot for days and nights since relocating with a finetooth comb.” visitor
Awareness of the Great Exhibition of the North led to an increase in positivity about the North in general. When surveyed about their perceptions, those that were aware of the Exhibition were more likely to respond positively than those that weren’t aware of it: 67% of those who were aware of the Exhibition agreed that the North is an excellent place to do business compared to 54% who weren’t
67% 54%
84% of those who were aware of the Exhibition saw the North as friendly and welcoming compared to 75% of those who weren’t
84% 75%
67% of those who were aware of the Exhibition saw the North as a great place to live compared to 56% of those who weren’t
67% 56%
68% of those who were aware of the Exhibition said they are likely to visit the North for a day trip or short break in the future compared to 64% who weren’t
68% 64%
75% of those who were aware of the Exhibition saw the North as vibrant compared to 69% of those who weren’t
75% 69%
49% of those who were aware of the Exhibition said they are likely to visit NewcastleGateshead in the future, compared to 34% of those who weren’t
49% 34%
Data source: see page 66 and online at www.GetNorth2018.com/researchmethodology
Changing Perceptions Through Broadcast and Media
The Exhibition provided a unique opportunity to not only change perceptions, but also to develop a new narrative for the North. The message was amplified by extensive marketing activity. This included national PR and media relations activity; a strategic partnership with the BBC; regional, national and targeted advertising campaigns to build awareness and drive footfall; a programme of city-wide marketing activity and branding; development of an Exhibition website and associated social media channels and facilitating launch events and familiarisation trips with media and key opinion formers. A raft of flagship BBC programmes broadcast live throughout the Exhibition, showcasing the variety of events taking place and highlighting the North’s credentials, including the livestreaming of the opening and closing events. A mix of news, current affairs, sport and music was broadcast
page 52 / 53
from NewcastleGateshead and other Northern locations across the summer with familiar faces bringing Exhibition excitement to households way beyond the city boundary. A series of BBC engagement projects also helped to connect with audiences in new ways including the attendance of the BBC Blue Room at the Family Expo, which allowed visitors to use virtual reality to experience innovative content the BBC is still developing. The BBC also created new series of idents based around the themes of the Great Exhibition of the North. Major profile came from programmes hosted in the North East by BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 4, BBC Arts, BBC 6 Music, BBC Children’s and BBC Sport. New programmes included a Shaun Keaveny-presented documentary on BBC Two about the Exhibition and a special programme for BBC One in the North East and Cumbria, narrated by Jill Halfpenny. A series on BBC Radio 4 celebrated the power of Northern music, film, design and visual arts and the Today Programme, BBC Breakfast and Lauren Laverne for BBC 6 Music all broadcast live from the Exhibition. BBC Look North and BBC Newcastle also featured extensive coverage throughout the summer. In an ideal world, pre-promotion of a one-off brand-new event of this scale would begin at least 12 months in advance. However, during the delivery of the Exhibition planning, raising investment, procurement, commissioning and marketing activity all had to be run in parallel. Content was not fully confirmed until February 2018, missing many key marketing and PR opportunities. Despite this, NewcastleGateshead was named the number one place in the world to visit in 2018 by Rough Guides in December 2017. This was a direct result of pre-Exhibition activity.
Combined reach of over
19 million across all Great Exhibition of
the North social media channels from June 2017 – September 2018
38,000 likes of the Exhibition’s Facebook page
14,931 engaged followers of @getnorth2018 Twitter account
8,835
followers on Great Exhibition Instagram
“ I’m not from the North East and I had family and friends text me with articles about the Exhibition with jealousy that such an event was happening up here. I think people watched the BBC coverage and got the impression that there is loads to do in NewcastleGateshead and that there’s a real sense of community.” (public feedback)
“ I think it’s brilliant for our region and hearing our region mentioned on the radio because of it.” (visitor)
A total number of
3,218 articles were
generated between April 2016 and September 2018, delivering an AVE value of nearly
Over
1.9 million
BBC editorial content
unique page views of the
alone was seen and
Exhibition website between
heard by an audience
June 2017 and September
of more than
2018, with average monthly unique visitors of
61.7k
million
17
right
across the UK
Regional press across the North accounted for 63% of article volume, while national press generated 37%
63% 37%
£26 million
Funders and sponsors also contributed content to the Exhibition, including LNER’s virtual-reality driver experience and Azuma train, Siemens’ Ingenious Energy Challenge and CISCO’s Smart Street. All the relationships developed throughout the delivery process are extremely important and provide a significant opportunity for future investment in the North. In addition, the Exhibition was attended by many high-profile influencers and opinion formers, who helped to raise the profile of the region. This included the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney; His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge; and senior government ministers, including the full cabinet who came to the region for a special meeting at Sage Gateshead.
page 54 / 55
CASE STUDY
Changing attitudes Investment and Opinion and Formers perceptions
The level of partnership working across the North in preparation for the Exhibition and during the event was unparalleled. Funders and sponsors boosted the Exhibition budget from the £5 million awarded by DCMS to £14 million, bringing investment that would not have otherwise reached the North (see acknowledgements on page 64).
Cisco Smart Street Throughout the Great Exhibition of the North, Mosley Street and the connecting Neville Street were home to Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that helped demonstrate the amazing possibilities that smart places create for people living and working in them. The project combined live and historic data from several sources to showcase the value of connecting data for the benefit of individuals, organisations and the city. Example uses included providing combined insight into pollution, waste disposal and traffic data, which can allow the city to make decisions to help improve the environmental health of the area.
Stu Higgins, Head of Smart Cities and IoT at Cisco UK and Ireland, said: “We have been thrilled to work with Newcastle City Council and our partners to create the UK’s smartest street. Building on the pioneering innovation which took place on Mosley Street over a century ago, the Great Exhibition of the North was the perfect opportunity to launch this pioneering venture and mark the next phase of the North’s future. It is this type of innovation which is crucial to the UK cementing itself as a global digital leader.”
focused around the hubs and walking trails and designed to generate positive word of mouth and repeat footfall. Northern provenance was at the heart of the programming decisions with contributors born in, raised in or living in the North. Three hub venues: In January 2017, programme funds were 100% confirmed to Sage Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, to enable these two hub venues to develop their programmes. In Summer 2017, Tyne and Wear Archive and Museums submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the hub exhibition at Great North Museum, the return of The Rocket to Discovery and several walking trail commissions. Confirmation of funds from HLF was received in October 2017. Major commissions and walking trails: In March 2017, NGI launched a call out for ideas to help to animate the Innovation, Design and Art trails, drawn from across the North. In June 2017, several of these were selected and following the successful bid to Ambition of Excellence, confirmation to go ahead for the majority of these ideas was received late December 2017. Independently of the call out, programme was generated through the Creative Producer from North-wide connections and from discussions with sponsors alongside the Innovation and Digital champions. Inspired by programme: In January 2018, the Inspired by programme was launched, inviting people from Sheffield to the Scottish Borders to put forward events to enable the Exhibition to shine a spotlight on some of the best northern festivals, exhibitions, organisations, museums, artists, businesses, breweries, performers, community groups, restaurants, academics and designers. 537 Inspired By events took place in 127 different locations right across the North, including 54 villages, 28 towns and 15 different cities. Large scale opening event across the quayside
fantastic showcase of the entrepreneurial spirit of the region. It was a pleasure to meet some of the innovative small businesses that are at the vanguard of the fourth industrial revolution and a delight to meet an exceptionally creative group of children who talked me through their inventions featured in the Little Inventors programme.”
M ark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England. [Quote provided during a visit to the Exhibition after speaking at the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit].
CASE STUDY
On 22nd June, a large scale opening event took place on the River Tyne and Quayside. The majority of funds required were confirmed in March 2018, “ Thefunds Great Exhibition ofconfirmed the North is providing a Attendances to the opening event were 20,000 and the online audience was ?xxx with for the drone display 5 weeks before the event. Duke of Cambridge visits the Great Exhibition of the North As part of his visit to the region, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge officially opened PROTO, a new state-of-theart research and development facility located in Gateshead. Cllr Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council said: “We were delighted to welcome The Duke of Cambridge to Gateshead to open this
cutting-edge facility as part of the Great Exhibition of the North. PROTO demonstrates to multiple sectors, including education, manufacturing and creative, what possibilities emerging tech can bring to their business. His visit was a fantastic opportunity for us to promote Gateshead’s digital technology sector and raise the profile of the region.”
New profile, new partnerships, new audiences, new experiences of working with volunteers, new ideas, staff development and new ways of working were consistently referenced by commissioners and venues as a major benefit of being part of the Exhibition. All these developments offer strong potential for future investment and growth.
“ What stands out above everything for me was the delight I saw on the faces of people enjoying their first close encounter with Stephenson’s Rocket. Bringing this threeton icon of British engineering to Newcastle, where it was manufactured in 1829 by Robert Stephenson and Company, was just the kind of ambitious act needed to ensure the Exhibition truly lived up to the name Great.” Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group
N18 Artist Development Programme The N18 Artist Development Programme invited aspiring and emerging artists from across the North to join us for a ten-week programme to learn new skills, collaborate and creatively respond using digital technology. They were supported by leading digital and cultural practitioners and technologists. Ali Elly, N18 Artist Development Programme Participant, said:“My time spent on the N18 project has been hugely enjoyable and beneficial in strengthening many areas of my
creative practice. It has been an absolute privilege to have had this opportunity to collaborate with so many talented artists, each introducing unique skills to the group. These collaborations have challenged my preconceptions while encouraging me to have fun, pushing myself to learn and experiment. The entire process has helped me identify so many new ways to create as I now continue on to new projects with increased confidence and wider connections.”
CASE STUDY
Greater Connectivity, Changing attitudes and New perceptions Partnerships and Opportunities page 56 / 57
The pan-Northern approach to the Exhibition opened up exciting new opportunities for the North to work together to promote itself to greater effect. The scope, diversity and scale of programming expanded the reach and breadth of audience for specific projects and works. For example, Side Gallery invited photographers from across the North to participate in About the North and Manchester based FutureEverything began working with Newcastle’s Urban Observatory. Future opportunities for partnership working, innovation and collaboration are described in the Legacy section of this report from page 58.
“ The deep collaboration between the Science Museum Group and the Great Exhibition of the North brought benefits, not only to the public, but also to the many colleagues involved on both sides.
CASE STUDY
Multiverse Arcade Opens Up New Opportunities for Unfolding Theatre Multiverse Arcade, created by Unfolding Theatre, engaged with thousands of young people throughout the Exhibition, collecting their thoughts on how to change the world. Headquartered in the Mining Institute, the interactive experience asked children to place their hands in an arcade machine, asking them “What will you do when you’re in charge?”. The project was created with additional support from Creative Fuse, unlocking new academic and digital connections with Teesside University and leading to a new role within the company of Associate Digital Artist. The brilliant interactive experience reached over
34,000 people and is in demand to tour around the country. Annie Rigby, Director of Unfolding Theatre, said: “It was a massive challenge to make something that could be open every day for 80 days. It pushed us to work in new ways, and explore different artistic mediums, especially video / audio material. This has been great learning for us as an organisation. Reaching so many audiences has also pushed us to think about the creative and social action possibilities that can emerge through large-scale participation.”
91% “ Animmersion are delighted to have been involved in the Great Exhibition of the North, from mixed reality solutions, virtual reality, presentations and a whole load of fun. For us this has helped shine a spotlight on the innovative work being done in the North, watching children’s eyes light up as they saw a virtual raptor running towards them or creating their own musical holographic experience. “ The event has helped Animmersion show the art of possible and has promoted us as leader in immersive technology as well as showing how effective this technology can be when engaging various audiences. We have also benefited from the many connections this has given the business in the museums, retail and event spaces as well as having some of the best-case studies as result of our involvement.” D ominic Lusardi, Owner and Managing Director of Animmersion UK Ltd
of projects indicated they would not have taken place without the Exhibition
45% of projects indicate they had worked with new partners
Legacy
It certainly made for a memorable summer, but what are the long-term benefits of the Exhibition for the people of the North? Will our new profile, renewed pride and enhanced reputation translate into new visitors, residents, students and a skilled workforce? How will the North’s major players use this unique experience of collaboration to develop new ideas, broker new relationships and bring about exciting new opportunities?
page 58 / 59
We’ve captured feedback from Exhibition stakeholders including funders, partners, programme contributors, schools, businesses and the cultural sector about what the future holds post-Exhibition. In addition to the legacy built through increased pride and changing perceptions of the North, as referenced earlier in the report, this section provides an indication of the significant economic and cultural legacy of the event. It includes examples of work that is already live, as well as areas of future potential. Many organisations have referenced the Exhibition as an ambition-raiser and have highlighted exciting new opportunities that have arisen as a result of the event. Working on such a large-scale event, they have emerged positive and confident about the future – aiming for even bigger, bolder and better things in their work.
01. New Relationships The Exhibition’s unique focus on Northern provenance required many organisations to identify talent for their programmes across arts, science and business, increasing Northern knowledge and connections for the future. A number of organisations have involved artists and contributors from further afield across the North, and in larger number than would be typical, and intend to continue to build on the new relationships for future projects. For example Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums hope to secure future large-scale loans through further collaboration with the Science Museum Group.
01.
02. 02. New Spaces and Places Many companies worked extensively in the public realm for the first time, or for the first time in recent years, and plan to build on this experience. For example, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art commissioned major public realm installations within its programme. The Exhibition was also the catalyst for the temporary closure of Blackett Street in Newcastle, organised by Newcastle’s Business Improvement District NE1 who worked with Newcastle City Council. This transformed the city centre experience and improved the air quality in this part of the city.
Many artists and contributors who took the opportunity of the Exhibition to develop their approach to presenting their work are now exploring new opportunities this has created. For example, stand-up poet Kate Fox worked with a director and actor to create a theatre presentation for the first time. The show has now been taken on tour as a result of additional funding from the Arts Council. NewBridge also used the opportunity of the Exhibition to explore ways of working with connections across the North, partnering with Assembly House (Leeds), Islington Mill (Manchester), Caustic Coastal (Manchester), Bloc Projects (Sheffield) and The Royal Standard (Liverpool).
03.
04. 04. Opportunities for Children and Young People The Exhibition recaptured the cityscape for families, focusing much of its content on engaging with children. Hundreds of thousands of families have discovered or rediscovered the innovative North through visiting the Exhibition, and the downloadable resources continue to support learning in the classroom. The overwhelming success of programme elements, including the Schools Programme and Family Expo, has already led to some exciting developments including further collaboration between BALTIC Centre of Contemporary Art, Sage Gateshead and Live Theatre on a Summer schools offer for 2019. NGI are also exploring opportunities to turn the Family Expo into an annual event. Following the success of the Great North 2030 Challenge, Little Inventors were offered the opportunity to run their first global challenge and are now the lead children’s project for the Sharjah Children’s Biennale 2019. Taking part in the Exhibition has also afforded Little Inventors the opportunity to develop legacy projects across the North and they are currently in discussion with Arts Council England and cross sector partners about future support that will help realise their longer-term vision for the North East to become the Little Inventors HQ
05. Volunteer Programme The Exhibition’s Volunteer Programme proved a major success and this momentum will continue. Similar programmes will become important elements of future events planned for NewcastleGateshead, such as the World Transplant Games in August 2019 which many Get North volunteers have already signed up to be part of. Some individual volunteers have even secured work with venues and organisations involved in delivery of the Exhibition as a result of this interaction with them.
05.
Five Ways Legacy is Being Built
03. New Approaches Lead to New Opportunities
Content Continues to Engage, Educate and Enchant
Many projects created and presented at the Exhibition are expected to continue, evolve and grow. There are far too many for us to provide an exhaustive list, however examples include: Rocket is now in the foyer at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and will travel on to the National Railway Museum in York. Both organisations are working with Hedgehog Lab to present the VR and AR Rocket Reimagined alongside Rocket itself. Gaming event 1upNorth has stimulated new business activity resulting in new regional investment, jobs and even a new company. After visiting the Exhibition, gaming company Gamevy decided to set up a studio in Newcastle, bringing 30 jobs to the region. In addition, a 1upNorth exhibitor and a volunteer were inspired to set up a new business at the Gate in Newcastle called CTRL Pad. The CTRL Pad now hires seven people, including a former Get North volunteer. The business will provide the general public with the opportunity to play the latest console games in a relaxed 30-console space serving chilled drinks and coffee, accompanied by ambient music. Future plans for CTRL Pad include a specially adapted space for children with disabilities.
page 60 / 61
Invisible Flock is took 105+db, their large-scale public sound installation, to Qatar in December 2018 with funding support from the British Council. The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult have transferred the Immersive Hybrid Reality Wind Turbine permanently to Newcastle College’s Energy Academy in Wallsend, where the college will use the system to provide an ultra-realistic training environment for the next generation of offshore wind turbine technicians. The system is the most advanced of its kind for offshore wind turbine training anywhere in the world and was formally opened on 17 January 2019. The Mind the Gap Daughters of Fortune exhibition is on display in Bradford, overlooking the city park. The film, exhibition and book will also be used to help tell the story and to contextualise the new large-scale piece Zara once it appears in Halifax and London in 2019. The film is especially developing a life of its own, opening new doors profile-wise in conference and research settings for Mind the Gap’s work in creating bold, cutting-edge theatre working alongside artists with learning disabilities. Four pieces from Winged Tales remain where they were painted for visitors to continue to discover. Kate Drummond’s work has been installed in Byker Primary School for the enjoyment of children who helped with its creation Digital assets created for the Exhibition continue to offer opportunities for engagement, such as the online school resources and recordings of performances specially commissioned for the opening event. See page 68 for links to all digital assets.
Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund was created by government as a £15m legacy fund to create lasting, tangible benefits across the North:
£4m to Bradford to turn a disused Odeon cinema into a live music venue.
£4m to Blackpool to create its first museum. £3.3m to enhance cultural attractions across the Lake District.
In addition, smaller creative and cultural organisations across the North will be able to bid for a further £3m giving them access to finance to help them grow and deliver social benefits.
Recognition and Awards After capturing the hearts and imagination of so many visitors over the summer, Exhibition content has begun to catch the eye of industry experts. The Exhibition’s trophy cabinet is beginning to fill up, with numerous accolades and awards testament to the hard work of so many contributors. Recent triumphs include Great Exhibition of the North being named overall winner at The Northern Soul Awards 2018, which celebrate and reward cultural and entrepreneurial excellence in the North of England. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums’ A History of the North in 100 Objects also won Exhibition of the Year at the awards. In the field of healthcare, The Great North Children’s Hospital has been named Innovation Champion of the Year for its Pop-up Hospital at the Bright Ideas in Health Awards, which highlight the achievements of those working within the NHS, industry and academia.
Positioning of NewcastleGateshead In addition to changing perceptions of the North, the scale of the 80-day celebration has also demonstrated NewcastleGateshead’s ability to bid for and successfully deliver events on a whole new level. NewcastleGateshead is already capitalising on this reputation, actively bidding for other future high-profile events, as well as delivering the World Transplant Games and European Professional Club Rugby Finals in 2019.
Exhibition of the North Delivery Team
Final Reflections from the NGI Great
page 62 / 63
It’s with great personal and professional pride that we look back at the summer of 2018 – The Great Summer of The North. It’s been a real treat to look back on some of the programme highlights and discover the memorable experiences of our audiences. What’s even more satisfying than learning about these individual stories is the knowledge that the warmth of the Great Exhibition of the North will be felt long after the end of those balmy 80 days. The emerging examples of impact and the lasting legacy created by the Exhibition are well worth the incredible effort that was required to make the concept of the event a reality in just 16 short months. Preparations were not without their challenges but the North’s appetite for the event helped us to overcome these. Time was our greatest enemy, with the clock ticking down to the launch event from the moment we received the wonderful news of our successful bid. Timescales were further strained by our need to fundraise at the same time as programming, meaning content could not be agreed at the beginning of the project, instead being agreed in phases as the launch date drew ever closer.
The Exhibition’s aim to represent the strengths of the whole of the North posed logistical complexities too but the collaborative approach we developed and the results produced were well worth the extra effort. We were overwhelmed by the collaboration, support and engagement of stakeholders and partners who helped us uncover new talent and give a stage to untold stories from every corner of the North. It’s testament to the North’s creative and innovative strength that our 80-day programme was so packed with daily activities as well as one-off events. We now share a great opportunity to capitalise on the North’s profile – to increase our influence on a national level and build on the relationships we achieved. The special accolade we received at the Northern Soul Awards is an award shared by every one of the Exhibition’s contributors, partners, funders and stakeholders who certainly put their heart and souls into making the Exhibition such a special event. The NGI Great Exhibition Delivery Team
The Exhibition was the culmination of an enormous effort from a wide range of stakeholders who worked together in new ways to achieve a shared ambition. The event would not have been the success it was without the vision, skill and determination of everyone who contributed. Board Sir Gary Verity DL (Chair), Chief Executive, Welcome to Yorkshire
Professor Dianne Willcocks CBE DL, Pro Vice Chancellor, York University
Caroline Norbury MBE, Chief Executive, Creative England
Brendan Foster CBE (Vice Chair), Chair, Great Run Company
Christopher Rodrigues CBE, Chair, British Council
Dr Ruth Mckernan CBE, Chief Executive, Innovate UK (prior to April 2018)
Martyn Henderson, Project Director, DCMS (prior to August 2018) Giles Smith, Interim Director, Arts, Heritage and Tourism, DCMS (from August 2018) Conrad Bird CBE, Director, GREAT Britain Campaign Martin Temple CBE, Chair, Design Council
Max Steinberg, Chief Executive, Liverpool Vision Clare Pillman, Director, Culture, Tourism and Sport, DCMS (prior to February 2018) Helen Judge, Director General for Performance and Strategy, DCMS (from February 2018) Denis Wormwell, Chair, VisitEngland Advisory Board
Dean Cook, Head of Regional Engagement, Innovate UK (from April 2018) Jane Dawson MBE, Project Team, DCMS Pat Ritchie, Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council Sheena Ramsey, Chief Executive, Gateshead Council
Local leadership, operations and delivery boards Abigail Pogson, Managing Director, Sage Gateshead
Sarah Stewart OBE, Chief Executive, NewcastleGateshead Initiative
Caroline McDonald, Museum Manager, Great North Museum: Hancock
Carol Bell, Executive Director, Great Exhibition of the North
Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader, Newcastle City Council
Maria Bota, Creative Producer, Great Exhibition of the North Sophie Hardwick, Senior Project Manager, Great Exhibition of the North Kathie Wilcox, Marketing and Communications Director, Great Exhibition of the North Iain Watson, Director, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums Sarah Munro, Director, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Cllr Martin Gannon, Leader, Gateshead Council Cllr Kim McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Public Health, Newcastle City Council Cllr Angela Douglas, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, Gateshead Council Lindsay Murray, Service Director, Trading and Commercialisation, Gateshead Council Helen Dickinson, Assistant Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council Stephen Savage, Assistant Director, Public Safety, Regulation and Development, Newcastle City Council
Tony Durcan OBE, Assistant Director – Transformation, Newcastle City Council Professor Roy Sandbach OBE, Newcastle University Professor Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs, Newcastle University Adrian Mills, General Manager, BBC North Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Bacon, Northumbria Police Chief Superintendent Neil Hutchison, Northumbria Police Chief Inspector John Heckels, Northumbria Police Eric Wilkins, Chief Operating Officer, Great Run Company
Governance
John Marshall, Chair, NewcastleGateshead Initiative
A huge thank you to all involved who helped to make the Exhibition so great. Though we’d very much like to thank every one of the 10,000 plus contributors by name it’s impossible to do so here! For a full list of acknowledgements see www.GetNorth2018.com/acknowledgements PROGRAMME DELIVERY
PREMIER PARTNERS
SUPPORTED BY
An initial award of £5 million was made by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in January 2017, unlocking contributions from delivery partners to the value of £2 million. Fundraising strategies were then developed and numerous new funders and partnerships were agreed with support including Lottery funding, trusts, foundations and corporate sponsors. The initial budget aspiration of £10 million was raised to £14 million as the scale of our ambition increased. This final figure was achieved in the late stages of the delivery process, with 71% spent on programming (see diagram). Funds were raised in phases as preparations for the Exhibition got under way. A requirement of the delivery team to twin track fundraising with programming meant programming decisions could only be made once funding was secure.
Income Breakdown CITY DELIVERY PARTNERS
Acknowledgements
18%
page 64 / 65
PARTNERS
7%
41%
18% SUPPORTING PARTNERS
16%
THE
F O U N D AT I O N
Corporate Sponsorship
Other Grant Funding
Local Delivery Partners
DCMS
Lottery Funding
Expenditure 59%
71%
Programming
26% of the total budget came from local partners and corporate sponsors who invested funds directly on Exhibition programming and delivery. In addition, significant in-kind donations and value-added benefits were contributed by organisations to activities over the course of the project.
Core Programming
3%
Volunteer Programme
2%
Young People’s Programme (Schools and Family Expo)
7%
Business Programme (GX including Summit)
9%
Marketing and Communications
13%
Recruitment and Staffing
6%
Office setup, running and support costs
1%
Evaluation
Confirmed Budget (ÂŁmillion)
7
7
7
7
7.5
7
10.7
9.3
7.8
10.7
12.8
12.1
11.9
11.7
13.5
13.5
14
13.5
14
8 A
ug
20 1
8 l2 01 Ju
n
20 1
8
8 Ju
M
ay
20 1 pr A
ar M
20 1
8
8 20 1
8 20 1 Fe b
8 20 1 n Ja
20 17 c De
20 17 No v
O
ct
20 17
20 17 p Se
20 17 ug A
l2 01 7 Ju
20 17 n Ju
20 17 ay M
A
pr
20 17
20 17 M
ar
20 17 Fe b
Ja
n
20 17
5
Budget and Funding
The majority of the budget committed by funders was ringfenced for particular projects aligned to their own strategic objectives. For example ERDF funding supported GX Project activities and Heritage Lottery Funding was targeted at Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums programming.
Research Methodologies and Data Capture
Economic Impact
Northern Voice Research Community
Visitor Surveys
A number of key methodologies were used to monitor and evaluate the Exhibition. These allowed for a robust, holistic review. The evaluation framework was also developed with the requirements of individual funders in mind.
In terms of economic impact, we used a model devised by the Sustainable Tourism Intelligence Partnership which has been used to measure events such as the Tour de France, Tall Ships, Edinburgh Festival, Ryder Cup and T in the Park. The model allowed us to gather insight into a wide range of outputs including:
As a key driver for the Great Exhibition of the North was to change perceptions and awareness, we set up a research community which allowed us to undertake surveys, focus groups, polls and have ongoing discussion forums with local and national audiences to test perceptions, as well as track awareness of the Exhibition. The panel was also available to sponsors and partners of the Exhibition to ask questions of the panellists. The panel can be found at www.northernvoice. org.uk and currently has 1,200 active participants.
We commissioned Feedback Market Research to undertake visitor surveys during the period of the Exhibition. They undertook 760 face-to-face surveys across the 80 days. With a target audience of 3m this gives us a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of +/-5%. The split of physical and virtual visits to the exhibition is identified through the ongoing monitoring plans set out below.
Research Methodologies
Key tools used to measure the impact of the Exhibition were:
page 66 / 67
• The Sustainable Tourism Research • Direct event impact Intelligence Partnership Economic • Indirect impact Impact model • Induced impact • Northern Voice Research • Displacement Community • GVA www.northernvoice.org.uk • Panelbase Research Community • Jobs created • Visitor surveys The model was used to make a • Depth interviews forecast for the Great Exhibition of • Media Evaluation the North and was used at the end of the event to identify the actual • Social media monitoring impact. The model was based on • Footfall counts local level inputs making it more • App data accurate; data from the visitor • Family Expo evaluation surveys and footfall counts were also key inputs. • School visit survey While Evaluation was managed by NewcastleGateshead Initiative we were supported by colleagues from Newcastle City Council, University of Northumbria and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Please note that when we refer to visits, these may include return visitors. The nature of the Exhibition was to encourage people to return on multiple occasions.
Panelbase Research Community Panelbase is an independent panel with more than 200,000 engaged adult members and was used to gather additional insight into the awareness and perceptions of the Great Exhibition of the North. A nationally representative audience of 500 panellists gave opinions on the Exhibition.
Targeted surveys were undertaken for key areas such as the volunteer programme, schools programme, the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit and Family Expo with a defined question set specific to the activities within these programmes.
Depth Interviews We undertook depth interviews with a wide range of audiences including teachers, artists, volunteers, stakeholders and sponsors, to gather feedback on their involvement and engagement with the Exhibition. This has allowed us to gather qualitative insight as to the impact of the Exhibition.
Key Metrics Alongside the evaluation piece we monitored a key range of metrics through a number of tools:
• Hotel occupancy and
visits to attractions and establishments on the trail captured through T-Stats.
• Web traffic, page views and unique visitors captured through Google Analytics.
• Social media metrics logged on an ongoing basis.
• Data gathered through the app.
• Daily media monitoring. Further information about research methodology can be found online at www.GetNorth2018.com/ researchmethodology
Animmersion – Great Exhibition of the North Overview: https://youtu.be/AtuDEhINSrE Animmersion – Deepframe at Intu Eldon Square: https://youtu.be/E3JKj6JoO4U Animmersion – Deepframe at Great North Museum: https://youtu.be/08X0w6G23cs Animmersion – Deepframe at Sage Gateshead: https://youtu.be/t4kgNm4YkWU BALTIC Bites: Idea of North | MaterialDriven: https://youtu.be/Ao-9ea3cTpU BALTIC Bites: Idea of North | Tyne Deck: https://youtu.be/lCUeJwEKUF4 BALTIC Bites: Jane and Louise Wilson Suspended Island: https://youtu.be/bGqxh8-AZ80 BALTIC Bites: Ryan Gander: https://youtu.be/QFjFhM-bEB0
Useful Links
BALTIC Bites: Tim Etchells: With/Against: https://youtu.be/af-7xbDGY7U BALTIC Bites: Zoe Walker & Neil Bromwich: The Worker’s Maypole: https://youtu.be/oWDyCCYrGrw BALTIC Spotlight | Idea of North: https://youtu.be/dEZbHVHtowk BALTIC Spotlight: Jane and Louise Wilson: Suspended Island: https://youtu.be/sa7c8N6PvIk
page 68 / 69
BALTIC Spotlight: Lubaina Himid: https://youtu.be/d51ckPJllrU
Boff Whalley – Trailblazing: www.trail-blazing.co.uk
BALTIC Spotlight: Michael Dean: https://youtu.be/ZYoX_moTMPQ
Brighter Sounds - The Hexagon Experiment: https://youtu.be/iGEYFOveQP4
BBC Radio Four - Great Exhibition of the North:
Get North Career Pathway Videos: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZbx_upne8uD_ CjD-bm9jQb4cFdXy7sSu
Art. Degna Stone meets artists including Lubaina Himid and Ryan Gander as they show new work at the Exhibition and explores work embracing pioneering technology: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bclvxs Music. Lauren Laverne, curator of a series of gigs for the Exhibition, meets some of the acts taking the area’s strong musical traditions forward: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9z64c Film. Antonia Quirke begins a new series looking at the region’s cultural life with a celebration of northern cinema: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b948vw Design. Design has a long and powerful history entwined with the North’s manufacturing heritage. Steph McGovern meets some of those designers taking the area’s traditions into the future: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bbsqvz BBC Radio Four – Open Country, Helen Mark explores landscapes of the future, of the imagination and of the past at the Exhibition: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b9z6bf BBC1 – The One Show, Stephenson’s Rocket returns to Newcastle after 156 years. Marty Jopson tells the story of the famous train engine in the world and its return home for The One Show: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06bkks6
Darkstar – Since There’s Only You: www.soundcloud.com/darkstarofficial/sincetheres-only-you Dominic Wilcox - Little Inventors 2030 Challenge: www.GetNorth.littleinventors.org/collections/ north-2030-challenge Great Exhibition of the North Success Highlights Video https://youtu.be/uaqaQtNm9B0 Get North School Resources: www.GetNorth2018.com/get-involved/schools/ schools-resources Great North Museum: Hancock Blog: https://blog.twmuseums.org.uk/kathleen-drewbaker-mother-of-the-sea/ GX Project: www.GetNorth2018.com/business/gx-project Hedgehog Lab - Rocket Reimagined App: www.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. hedgehoglab.rocketreimaginedandroid Henna Asikainen/D6: Culture in Transit – Delicate Shuttle: www.d6culture.org/delicate-shuttle.html
Kate Fox - Pockets in our Parks by Oasister: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhJrNoez_1Q Kate Fox - Roll Call of Northern Women: www.wheretheresmucktheresbras.com Kate Rusby/Royal Northern Sinfonia – Secret Keeper: www.soundcloud.com/purerecords/secret-keeper Lemn Sissay’s Anthem for the North: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjNyP8z8B9s MAADigital - How Will You Fly? App: www.play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. getnorth2018.wings Maximo Park/Royal Northern Sinfonia – North by North East: www.soundcloud.com/maximo-park-1/north-bynorth-east Mind the Gap – Daughters of Fortune Booklet: www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ MTG-DOF-Exhibition-Booklet-FINAL.pdf Mind the Gap – Daughters of Fortune Film: www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/projects/paigedaughters-of-fortune/daughters-of-fortuneexhibition-film/ N18 Artist Development Programme: www.GetNorth2018.com/n18-artist-developmentprogramme Naho Matsuda/FutureEverything – every thing every time podcast: www.futureeverything.org/projects/every-thingevery-time-great-exhibition-of-the-north Northern Film and Media - Movie Map: www.northernmedia.org/project/remakeatake
Northern Powerhouse Business Summit Highlights Video https://youtu.be/1MeAkf1airU Northern Soul Awards 2018: https://awards.northernsoul.me.uk/the-2018awards/the-2018-winners/ Opera North – Aeons: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZvZBs1TOBQ Raising the Flag Week 1 Northern Proud Voices – https://youtu.be/7lFmlfkQT48
Raising the Flag - Week 11: Kissed https://youtu.be/zvwBR_plERw Raising the Flag – Week 12: North Tyneside Steel Band https://youtu.be/ikemgf04tVI Richard DeDomenici - Get Carter: Redux: https://vimeo.com/289010794 RTC North - Great North Design Quest: www.northerndesignquest.co.uk
Raising the Flag: Week 2 Hotspur School https://youtu.be/pff-45gtGDc
Sage Gateshead – The North in 100 Songs: www.open.spotify.com/ playlist/55ZbvH8AyTzXBmKez1jNUt
Raising the Flag Week 3: BALTIC is Curious – https://youtu.be/g5RmjHYDjF0
Steve Messam – Whistle: www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3DixS7u5OI
Raising the Flag - Week 4: Becky Owen’s Pop up Choir https://youtu.be/GxD9htpXJXM
The History of the North in 100 Archives: www.100archivesnorth.co.uk
Raising the Flag - Week 5: Mush https://youtu.be/8o71_laSSAQ Raising the Flag - Week 6: Seven Bridges https://youtu.be/PtrGeq4MdE4 Raising the Flag - Week 7: Ladies Midnight Blue – Hannabiell https://youtu.be/Ty8b95GCYfQ
The History of the North in 100 Objects Blog: http://blog.twmuseums.org.uk/its-not-all-ironsteel-and-coal-up-north-by-lucy-deprez-projectofficer-a-history-of-the-north-in-100-objects The History of the North in 100 Objects: www.100objectsnorth.co.uk Unfolding Theatre – Multiverse Arcade: www.unfoldingtheatre.co.uk/multiversearcade.html
Raising the Flag - Week 8: Poetry Take Over Day with Degna Stone https://youtu.be/yrfZG2WSfDI
Vanessa Grass/Yorkshire Dance/Dance City – MESH: https://meshjournal.wixsite.com/mesh
Raising the Flag – Week 9: Gala Big Band https://youtu.be/g3yOXMzuHoo
We Are Where We Are: Presented by Liverpool Biennial with BALTIC https://youtu.be/_DzPDByaRn4
Raising the Flag - Week 10: Beat This https://youtu.be/vkSIzUgNHC8
Front cover: Opening Weekend © North News & Pictures Ltd / Hands © Nikola Stanisic Shutterstock
Page 16/17: NewcastleGateshead Quayside Fireworks – Opening Event, 2018. © Graeme Peacock.
Page 2/3: Gary Verity, Chair of the Great Exhibition of the North Project Board, Year. © Photographer (Not sure what this has been cropped from – does Sam have the original image?) / Carol Bell, Executive Director of the Great Exhibition of the North, 2018 © The Great Exhibition of the North 2018
Page 18/19: Crowds at the Opening Event, 2018. © KG Photography / Crowds at the Opening Event, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
Page 4/5: Water Sculptures, 2018. © Newcastle Portraits / Helen Sharman’s Zvezda Sokol space suit on loan from the Science Museum Year. © Photographer / Crowds at the Opening Event, 2018 © Richard Kenworthy. / MESH by Vanessa Grasse – Opening Weekend, 2018. © KG Photography. Page 6/7: LNER Azuma - Discovery Museum, 2018. © KG Photography / MESH by Vanessa Grasse – Opening Weekend, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Multiverse Arcade - Mining Institute, 2018 © Richard Kenworthy / Lemn Sissay performing Anthem of the North – Opening Event, 2018 © North News / Rocket Reimagined – Discovery Museum, 2018 © Richard Kenworthy.
Image credits
Page 8/9: NewcastleGateshead Quayside Fireworks – Opening Event, 2018. © Graeme Peacock / Great Exhibition Creative Team, 2018. © The Great Exhibition of the North 2019 / Stephenson’s Rocket – Discovery Museum, 2018. © KG Photography / Overall photography competition winner - Tyne Rooftops. © Ruth Dingwell / BALTIC and confetti - Opening Event, 2018. Image courtesy of North News / Audience - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / Volunteers performing – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy. Page 12/13: Great North Museum © Wider Image / BALTIC and confetti Opening Event, 2018. Image courtesy of North News / Sage Gateshead © Wider Image / Trailblazing, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Wallace and Gromit, on load from Aardman Animations. Image courtesy Great North Museum. / Drone display by SKYMAGIC – Opening Event, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy. Page 14/15: Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / Lauren Laverne. Image courtesy of BBC / Jake Berry MP – Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Volunteer at The Core, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
page 70 / 71
Page 22/23: Maximo Park on board the Bobby Robson – Opening Event, 2018. © North News. Stephenson’s Rocket at the Discovery Museum, 2018. © KG Photography / The Worker’s Maypole, 2018. © Graeme Peacock. Page 24/25: Ingenious Energy Challenge by Siemens - Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / 1UpNorth, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy. Page 26/27: Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / Accenture Workshop - Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography. Page 28/29: Little Inventors - Princess Rescue and Robot Water Blaster by Nina (age 5) and Emilia (age 6), 2018. © KG Photography / Little Inventors - Supergrow 11000 by Arthur (age 8) 2018. © KG Photography / His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge meets children from Riverside Primary Academy, 2018. © KG Photography / Little Inventors – Children’s designs. Images courtesy of Little Inventors. Page 30/31: Bridget Rosewell, Atom Bank – Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Elected mayoral panel - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Audience - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Cisco stand – Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / LNER Azuma Discovery Museum, 2018. © KG Photography. Page 32/33: Get North Opening Event, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy. Page 34/35: Volunteers – Opening Weekend, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Crowds at the Opening Event, 2018. © KG Photography.
Page 36/37: Rocket Reimagined – Discovery Museum, 2018 © Richard Kenworthy / LNER VR Experience – Discovery Museum, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Horse to Hyperloop by Ryder Architecture, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Aeons, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / The Worker’s Maypole, 2018. © Graeme Peacock / Which Way North installation view, 2018. Image courtesy of Great North Museum / Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / 1UpNorth Gaming Showcase, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services. Page 38/39: Maximo Park on board the Bobby Robson – Opening Event, 2018. © KG Photography / Mr Wilson’s Second Liners - Opening Event, 2018. © KG Photography / Atom drones display by SKYMAGIC – Opening Event, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Granny Turismo – Opening Event, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
Page 48/49: NewcastleGateshead Quayside – Opening Event, 2018. © Graeme Peacock / Siemens Gadget Factory Workshop - Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography. Page 50/51: Aeons and Water Sculpture, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy. Page 54/55: Cisco stand - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / Mark Carney at the Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge officially opens PROTO with Cllr Jill Green, Mayor of Gateshead, 2018. © KG Photography / His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge helps to design a bridge to the future at Cooper’s Studios, 2018. © KG Photography. Page 56/57: Multiverse Arcade - Mining Institute, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
Page 40/41: Aeons Volunteer. © Richard Kenworthy / Volunteer – Opening Weekend, 2018 © KG Photography / Volunteers – Opening Event, 2018. © KG Photography.
Page 58/59: Delegates - Northern Powerhouse Business Summit, 2018. © TyneSight Photographic Services / The Worker’s Maypole, 2018. © Graeme Peacock / Siemens Gadget Factory Workshop - Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography / Opening weekend volunteer, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
Page 42/43: Over 14 photography winner - Thrunton Woods, Christmas 2017. © Daisy Barnes / Under 14 photography winner – Trafford Centre, Manchester. © Sanika Rajput / Overall photography competition winner - Tyne Rooftops. © Ruth Dingwell / Northern Design Quest guide, 2018 © Richard Kenworthy / Gateshead College mural. Image courtesy of Gateshead College
Page 60/61: Opening of the virtual reality offshore wind training facility Newcastle College. Image courtesy of Newcastle College / Winged Tales of the North - Ouseburn Valley, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / OREC @ The Core - Photo-KG Photography
Page 44/45: Northern Powerhouse Brew Series. Image courtesy of Wylam Brewery / Bradford Bubble Up. Image courtesy of Bubble Up / Blue Flags at Blyth. Image courtesy of Northumberland County Council.
Page 66/67: © ESB Professional Shutterstock
Page 46/47: Athletes – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Lesley Garrett – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Volunteers performing – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Volunteers performing – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy / Volunteers performing – Great North Star, 2018. © Richard Kenworthy.
Page 62/63: Get North Family Expo, 2018. © KG Photography.
While the Great Exhibition of the North has made every effort to ensure the information contained in this evaluation is true and correct to the best of our knowledge, please be aware that some information may have been subject to change after the time of publication. Designed by twentyseven.co.uk
by Lemn Sissay MBE
The North Star leads the way To the mountain top in awe That, my friend, is why they say Up up up..…North And so we build year after year And we rise tide after time We bring light to darkness And we shine
We are the beautiful North The darkness of night bows We are a waterfall of light This is our power, our house
Oh North North I love you You made me the best I could be You waited with open arms And took in a stranger like me
And our children grow wings And soar across this earth But home they are assured Is the greatest place on earth
Daughters of suffragettes sons of mines The digital revolution - the creation True North you North You heart of our nation
The A’s the E’s the I’s the O’s the U’s Flocks of vowels fill the night with song Great they are and migrate they do The North is where they belong
And they come in waves to kiss our coast Urged on by the North Wind The surge of river greets the Sea “Come in” it says “come in”
Even the tides of oceans speak of you Upon their chosen course “Bring as many waves as you can” they say “for we are heading North”
Welcome to our future And all she endows This is our dream, our vision This is our power, our house
Anthem of the North