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Performance, Film and Music
During 2023-24, Sunderland Culture presented a fantastic array of performances featuring theatre, music, film and more.
Our ongoing collaboration with the National Theatre through the Theatre Nation Partnership (TNP) facilitated several exciting projects, including participation in the nationwide Public Acts project, The Odyssey. One of the year’s highlights, the ambitious programme saw five partners from across the country produce their own versions of chapters from Homer’s epic tale.
Collaborating with Sunderland Empire, we presented The Island of the Sun, a contemporary retelling of the stories of Scylla and Charybdis and the cattle of Helios. A diverse community cast of 26 local people, supported by a professional creative and production team, brought an exciting and energetic performance to The Fire Station stage in April 2023 and an epic finale bringing performers from all five national locations together on the National Theatre’s Olivier stage in August 2023.
The TNP also enabled us to bring Roy Williams’ Olivier Award-nominated and hard-hitting play, Sucker Punch to The Fire Station in June 2023. Telling the tale of two aspiring boxers against the backdrop of 80’s Thatcherite Britain, the play featured a life-size boxing ring, superb acting, and a compelling story of racism and identity.
Our partnership with the National Theatre also brought Connections Festival to the city – a week-long festival of plays, written for and performed by youth groups from around the region which provided an excellent opportunity for young people to develop their skills.
Between April and September we delivered a high- quality programme of performances at The Fire Station Auditorium. In July, the venue hosted the renowned Reg Vardy Band as the opening act for the Durham Brass Festival, performing For Your Eyes Only: 70 Years of Bond where iconic scores of 007 were brought to life. Soul legend PP Arnold also graced the stage, nearly 60 years after her first regional performance, while Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes delighted fans with a set to launch his new album.
A number of exciting collaborative performances took place across the year with one of the highlights bringing together two revered artists, John Grant and Richard Hawley, in a celebration of the late legendary country star Patsy Cline.
Another collaborative event was The Mixer, an evening of adventurous contemporary music featuring the internationally renowned Ligeti Quartet alongside local musicians and composers Ross Millard, Peter Brewis and Faye MacCalman.
Theatrical highlights included A Street Like This by Unfolding Theatre, co-created with residents from Sunderland and featuring original music by Ross Millard. Optimistic and fantastical, the show explored the unexpected friendships that arise when something unforeseen happens, changing the way people define themselves forever.
We were delighted to launch our new partnership with Film Hub North at an exciting period for film and TV in the region as the development of Crown Works Studios in Sunderland builds momentum. Thanks to the collaboration Arts Centre Washington has been able to build its film offer catering to all ages and tastes, such as a Saturday afternoon Family Film Club, Heritage Reels, a dynamic young people’s programme, and inclusive dementia-friendly screenings (p.16).
Another highlight of the partnership this year was a special screening of Typist Artist Pirate King at The Fire Station, following by a Q&A with its acclaimed director, Carol Morley. The event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the life of Sunderland-born Audrey Amiss, a remarkable but mostly overlooked visual artist. Shot partly in Sunderland, the screening allowed locals to recognise familiar settings and faces, making it a memorable community event.
