The Late Shows Explained

The Late Shows are a one weekend annual cultural initiative developed in Tyne & Wear since 2007. They are intended to attract new audiences to museums and galleries. They have become the largest programme^[1] organised in the United Kingdom for the 'Museums at Night Festival'.

History

The programme started as a one-night event with 14 cultural venues taking part including Discovery Museum, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Laing Art Gallery. All the venues stayed open late and put on free events and exhibitions, which aimed to entice a new, younger audience through their doors. From the outset many different agencies came together to open their doors and this has continued. In mid-May 2013, more than 50 attractions feature in what an arts site for the region described as "the North East's legendary culture crawl".^[2] An Arts Council of England case study demonstrates its impact.^[3] That report gives headline information thus:

In 2013 The Late Shows were a bronze award winner at the North East England Tourism awards.^[4]

Selected notable venues

• Laing Art Gallery
• The Biscuit Factory
• Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
• Victoria Tunnel (Newcastle)
• The Sage Gateshead
• Moorbank Botanic Gardens (now closed)
• Hatton Gallery
• Tyne and Wear Archives Service
• North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers
• Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne
• Bessie Surtees House

Selected notable artists

• Julia Vogl^{[5] [6] [7]}
• Jenny Holzer

External links

• Bill Griffiths entry on London Museum's blog. Evaluation Case Study.
• Bill Griffith's explains the ethos and functionality of The Late Shows in the Culture 24 Museums at Night site.
• The Late Shows main page.

Notes and References

1. News: Adams . India . 18 May 2012 . Venues Prepare For NewcastleGateshead Late Shows . Sky Tyne and Wear . https://web.archive.org/web/20130328042132/http://tyneandwear.sky.com/events/article/20818/the-late-shows-artists-limber-up-for-after-dark-events . 28 March 2013.
2. . n.d. . The Late Shows . Accent . https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224255/http://www.accentmagazine.co.uk/ArticleDetail.aspx?id=2692 . 17 December 2013.
3. Web site: The Late Shows . . n.d. . Arts Council England . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040546/http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/funded-projects/case-studies/late-shows/ . 4 March 2016.
4. Web site: North East England Tourism Awards 2013 . . n.d. . NewcastleGateshead Initiative . https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224906/http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/corporate/what-we-do/tourism-awards . 17 December 2013.
5. Web site: The Late Shows at Discovery Museum . . n.d. . Discovery Museum . Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums . https://web.archive.org/web/20131103205518/http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/discovery/whats-on/events/the-late-shows-at-discovery-museum.html . 3 November 2013. Julia Vogl participatory artwork.
6. News: Hodgson . Barbara . 12 March 2013 . Art Lovers Vote to Bring Julia Vogl to Discovery Museum . The Journal . 25 January 2020 . ...her project will create a large-scale 'participatory' installation, inviting Late Shows visitors to use donated vessels to reflect the migration story of Tyneside, which is to be the subject of a permanent gallery opening later in the year..
7. Web site: Museums at Night 2013: Julia Vogl on Bottles and Social Sculpture in Newcastle . Sheerin . Mark . 3 May 2013 . Culture24 . 25 January 2020.