North of the Tyne, Under the Stars
March 5, 2022 by Rachel Kershaw
in Art and Culture
I’ve just arrived home from a magical evening in Nunsmoor Park in Fenham! I was there for one of the neighbourhood events that are part of
‘North of the Tyne, Under the Stars’. It was absolutely brilliant!
This series of spellbinding outdoor events is something brand new and totally unique for the North East. What’s more, it’s totally free to enjoy!
What Happened at the Neighbourhood Event?
James and I headed down to Fenham, a place I know well as I lived there for over a decade, and joined the crowds in Nunsmoor Park at about 6.30pm.
We didn’t really know what to expect, the marketing for North of the Tyne, Under the Stairs was quite cryptic. However, I’d had a little look at the feedback on other neighbourhood events that had taken place during February in Byker, Wallsend, Blyth and North Shields and words like ‘amazing’, ‘magical’ and ‘captivating’ kept popping up. We had high hopes!
There was a lovely atmosphere as we wandered in to the centre of the park. The crowd was an eclectic mix of families, couples, students and a few confused but delighted dog walkers who seemed to have stumbled upon the event by accident.
We gathered with others under trees illuminated by pretty colours and rows of flickering lights (or were they shards of meteor?!) Shortly after our arrival we began to hear the voices of whispering children bellow out from loud speakers. Then a mythical character appeared before us, this turned out to be the ‘Story Weaver’. I had never seen Nunsmoor Park looking so spectacular!
The Story Weaver told us a heart-warming tale, inspired by stories and landscapes from across Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside. It was so different to anything I’ve been to before. My favourite aspect was that this unique and quirky experience brought together people from across our community and gave us something positive to enjoy. Let’s be honest, we could all do with being uplifted at the moment, and North of the Tyne, Under the Stars was the perfect tonic during a dark week!
See for Yourself at the Festival Finale
I don’t really want to give too much more away, as I think the mystery and intrigue around these events adds to their magic. So, put the 10th till 13th of March in your diary to see for yourself! That’s when the festival finale is taking place in Newcastle City Centre.
It promises to even bigger and more mesmerising than the smaller neighbourhood events! There’ll be installations to feast your eyes on at The Great North Museum, Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle University other landmarks. Here are a couple of publicity shots for the festival finale to whet your appetite…
Find Out More
The events are free to enjoy and there’s no booking required. It’s all thanks to the creative folk at Pinwheel and DAT Events, commissioned by the North of Tyne Combined Authority. The Festival Finale is supported by Newcastle City Council.