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Our Partnerships
We work across the city with communities and local partners to ensure the power of great art, culture and creativity is harnessed for the benefit of Sunderland, its residents and visitors. Our approach to working in partnership with core partners, local and national partners is widely recognised as an exemplar model of place-based working.
Core Partners
Our core partners Sunderland City Council, University of Sunderland and the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust are key to us achieving our mission, through the creative programme we deliver in their venues.
Sunderland City Council
Following my recent appointment as Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism, I am delighted to have been appointed as a Sunderland City Council trustee to the Sunderland Culture Board.
Connecting our communities to quality cultural and creative experiences is essential to a thriving, healthy and prosperous city.
I am committed to working closely with Sunderland Culture and my fellow trustees to help continue to shape these plans for 2024/25 ensuring vibrant cultural opportunities can grow and thrive – for the benefit of residents from all our communities and to play their part in our visitor economy.
Councillor Beth Jones,
Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism
Sunderland City Council
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is proud to be a founding partner of Sunderland Culture, which has established itself as the cornerstone of cultural activity in our city. It offers many opportunities for residents and visitors, at the same time as celebrating cultural diversity, artistic expression, and a sense of belonging.Under the Sunderland Culture banner, the University’s galleries, National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, have continued to host exhibitions from a distinguished mix of artists. Through the partnership, students from our Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries also had the opportunity to exhibit their final year degree shows at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and the National Glass Centre, a vibrant and public celebration of their hard work and dedication.
I look forward to Sunderland Culture continuing to play a vital role in the cultural renaissance of the city, making it a great place to live, study and work.
Sir David Bell KCB DL,
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust
The Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust has been delighted to partner with Sunderland Culture on several exciting projects. The Trust was particularly pleased that the Culture Start initiative has received significant funding from Arts Council England’s Place Partnership Fund and from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Sir James Knott Trust, The Gillian Dickinson Trust and The Sir Tom Cowie Fund through the Community Foundation. This support will allow Sunderland Culture and a cross-sector partnership to deliver a transformational three-year project that will address the long-term impact of poverty on children and young people in Sunderland by increasing equality of cultural opportunity and so will improve life chances & choices for children and young people from the most challenging backgrounds.
Paul Callaghan CBE, DL, FRSA, HonDBA
Chair of the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust
External Partners
During 2023-24 we worked with an incredible range of local, national and international partners to deliver our programme.
Theatre Nation Partnership
“We’re immensely proud of our collaboration with Sunderland Culture. Working together as part of our Theatre Nation Partnerships network over the past six years, we’ve built in- depth partnerships in schools across the city, reached new audiences and communities, and collaborated with Sunderland artists and partners to create The Island of the Sun, the fourth episode of our epic, multi-venue Public Acts production of The Odyssey. We look forward to many more years of collaboration with young people, artists, partners and communities in Sunderland.”
Rufus Norris,
Director & CEO, National Theatre
“Working with Sunderland Culture, particularly through the Theatre Nation Partnership, has provided an excellent opportunity to connect people with high quality theatre initiatives across the city. The close collaboration between Sunderland Empire, Sunderland Culture and the National Theatre is developing audiences and community involvement and driving positive change.”
Marie Nixon,
Theatre Director, Sunderland Empire
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition
“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is a powerful tool to connect millions of people with nature and shine a light on inspiring and impactful stories from the natural world.
It was a very good experience to work with the team at Sunderland Museum on this exhibition, and to know that over 85,000 people were able to visit the exhibition in 4 months is a wonderful outcome.
It is a joy to read feedback from visitors who were full of praise for the Museum team for bringing the exhibition to the city and that visitors were able to enter for free. We hope every visitor enjoyed their experience and left the exhibition feeling inspired to become advocates for the planet.”
Felicity Sylvester,
Exhibition Partnerships Manager, Natural History Museum
We Are Here Exhibition
“Over the years, Sunderland Culture, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens and Arts Centre Washington have played a crucial role in helping to profile Sangini’s work involving women artists from diverse communities in the North East.
We invite Black and minoritised women artists, who are often hidden and invisible, to create innovative projects and raise awareness about women’s issues through arts and crafts. The We Are Here exhibition helped us to mark 20 years of Sangini’s work around feminist expression and women’s activism. The support from Sunderland Culture and Arts Centre Washington helped some of the most marginalised women to have access to the centre and enjoy the exhibition which was captured by ITV local news. This partnership has manifested into a trustful relationship, increasing our confidence and belief in continuing to provide a platform for diverse women’s voices on the wider cultural landscape. It has been an important part of Sangini’s journey – a true partnership in every sense.”
Padma Rao,
Director, Sangini
“Sunderland Culture are an invaluable resource to us. They have provided a multitude of enrichment opportunities for young people in our academy, all of which have been enjoyed immensely. The ways in which our young people have been encouraged to become creative and brave with their ideas has been so rewarding for us all. I’m always excited when the next plans are made to work with the fantastic folk at Sunderland Culture!”
Amanda Parkes,
Headteacher, Oxclose Academy
“I am delighted to champion Education Partnership North East’s dynamic partnership with Sunderland Culture, which enhances creative experiences and fosters a thriving cultural landscape for our students and community.”
Sheree Rymer,
Faculty Director
Curriculum Directors Sunderland, Education Partnership North East
“Through my involvement of working with Sunderland Culture as a member of Celebrate Different Collective the skills I have gained and range of experiences I have had, I have seen a boost in confidence in myself and my art practice. I am more open to helping out in communities and to communicating with people in both a social and work setting. I have made lots of friends and become more aware of other fellow creatures.”
Jack
Celebrate Different Collective Member
Metro 40 Takeover: Hopes & Fears
“Young Asian Voices would like to say a big thank you to the Sunderland Culture team. We’ve continued to access projects and activities for a number of years, and it never fails to impress us.
We’ve recommended Sunderland Culture to all our members, friends and families because we truly believe in their quality and effectiveness. Thank you for your continued support and giving a platform for our community members to engage in arts and culture in Sunderland. Keep up the great work.”
Kumareswaradas Ramanathas,
Executive Manager, Young Asian Voices
“Working with Sunderland Culture provided us with a fantastic way to bring a unique art commission to our customers in the region. With knowledgeable facilitators and seamless project management, we were delighted with the end result that adds so much to the city and the Millfield community. The team maximised opportunities with community engagement and opportunities to showcase key milestones of the work and it was a pleasure to collaborate.”
David Turton,
Marketing Services Manager
Nexus
Gathering Light: A Bronze Age Golden Sun
“It is essential for national institutions like the British Museum to reach communities across the UK, and working with Sunderland Museum as part of the touring exhibition Gathering Light: a Bronze Age golden sun was a key part of this activity in 2023.
The team at Sunderland Museum enhanced the experience of the exhibition for local audiences, highlighting key regional finds. The collaboration was a perfect example of national partnership.”
Maria Bojanowska,
Dorset Foundation Head of National Programmes
The British Museum