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Arts Centre Washington

Sunderland Culture Annual Review 2024-25

Over the past year, Arts Centre Washington delivered a vibrant and inclusive programme that celebrated creativity in all its forms through exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and community engagement initiatives.

Washington 60 celebrated 60 years since Washington was designated a New Town, and Arts Centre Washington played a pivotal role in a summer of new town-themed events and activities. Events included archive film screenings, an exhibition about real and fictional stories of Washington, record listening parties, live music from the Davy Lamp Folk Club and the Durham Miners Brass Band, a participant programme and a 1960’s themed Art Mart.

The Arts Centre hosted the celebration event for the George Clarke Design Challenge, where young people imagined their own new town of the future. Through The Ballad of the Crocodile and the Underpass the Centre worked with partners Washington Heritage Partnership, We Make Culture, University of Sunderland and Baseline Shift to collect and share stories of Washington New Town by creating new Radio Ballads podcasts; produced by podcaster and musician Grace Stubbings with the Washington Community Podcasting Group and featured original songs by musicians Paige Temperley and David Brewis. A series of photomontage artworks using library archive images and new photography were created by artist Tommy Anderson, to celebrate Washington’s urban landscapes, culture and social heritage. The product culminated with the release of 10 podcasts, a publication, a CD and a live performance featuring David Brewis, Paige Temperley, young musician and poet Rebecca Nasim Asl.

A woman dressed in running clothes gestures upwards
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Black and white side profile pencil portrait of an elderly person with fine details showing deep wrinkles, textured skin, and thin hair combed back. The individual wears a light garment, and their expression appears calm and contemplative. The image has a photorealistic quality.
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A person in a green jacket looks at a large wall display in a museum or gallery space. The display shows a detailed black and white map of Washington New Town with many streets and buildings drawn in fine lines. On the left side of the white wall, black text reads
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A yellow sunflower made of felt sat on a dark blue woollen background. The petals are thin and droop slightly around the top of the flower.
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Arts Centre Washington continued its reputation for presenting original, high quality touring theatre with classics such as Elysium Theatre’s Othello to unique, original theatre such as The Dreamtime Fellrunner by Dr Julie Carter. Children’s work included Theatre Company Blah, Blah Blah’s The Hidden Garden whilst Wrongsemble brought their Christmas production of Tinsel.

Several dance productions visited including Ballet Lorent’s The Velveteen Rabbit. And the Centre was delighted to host National Theatre’s Connections Festival of new plays performed by young people’s theatre groups from around the region.

Bright Lights Youth Arts Festival 2025 celebrated Sunderland’s young creatives with the biggest programme to date at Arts Centre Washington, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, National Glass Centre, and city wide through Culture Start. It featured 23 free events including the Bright Lights Youth Arts Exhibition, Film Shorts Showcase, Growing Pains with Sunderland College’s Performing Arts Students, Re:Style: Clothes Upcycling Event, Washington Emerging showcase for up and coming bands and a takeover of Keel Square’s big screen by young artists.

A partnership with Film Hub North enabled the Arts Centre to continue the expansion of its popular film programme, introducing initiatives like Heritage Reels (archive and documentary films with talks), Film and fun (family movies with art activities), Mr Drayton’s Rock Docs (classic music documentaries with an interactive quiz), and Sunderland Film Club (independent documentaries).

It is important to have big showcases to be able to show off the North East and the talent of the youth. It is nice to have performance opportunities to get used to being on stage and having the experience of being out there and having other people’s feedback

Bright Lights participants

We love Arts Centre Washington – such a friendly venue with lovely staff and a great artistic space

Visitor comment

A group of older people sing together on stage with microphones. One person on the left raises a fist in the air while singing. The person in the center wears a dark shirt with colorful flowers. Behind them is a white banner with red letters that says
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Two musicians perform on a dark stage lit with blue light. One person sits at a keyboard on the left, and another sits with a guitar on the right. Both have microphones and music stands with sheet music. Above them, a large screen shows a blue-tinted image of old European buildings and houses stacked on a hillside. The audience sits in darkness watching the performance.
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A group of young people act in a play on a dark stage. One person in a red sweater reaches toward another person sitting in a chair wearing a blue shirt with a bat design. Three other actors stand behind them watching. One holds papers and wears glasses. The actors wear colourful clothes including red tops and bright shoes. A wooden post stands on the right side of the stage.
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A large group of young people and adults pose together for a photo on a stage. Behind them is a big screen showing
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Sunderland Culture Annual Review 2024-25