Important Visitor Notice

From Sunday 16 March 2025, National Glass Centre will close on Sundays.

This will bring it in line with the opening hours of other galleries and museums across the city. National Glass Centre remains open with our usual programme of exhibitions and activities Monday-Saturday.

Additionally, in line with the new opening hours, Glass Yard Café will also close on Sundays and offer a revised menu on Mondays.

Read the full statement from University of Sunderland about the planned changes:  University of Sunderland Statement

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A person wearing protective glasses holds a tube of glass into a bright flame.
A person wearing protective glasses holds a tube of glass into a bright flame.

Facilities & Equipment Hire at National Glass Centre

To help support individuals and small businesses working in glass and ceramics, we provide hire access to our comprehensive facilities.

Please read through the specifications for each facility you’re interested in hiring before you get in touch to make sure it is suitable and review the terms and conditions.

Our facilities

Hot Shop Facilities
Two large cylindrical furnaces with arched openings. Two people hold metal rods, one is holding the metal rod into the second furnace.

Hot shop facilities

Various hot shop equipment and glass included.

Hot Shop Facilities
Cold Working Facilities
A horse-shoe shaped workbench stands in the middle of a room filled with equipment and machines. Two people wearing aprons are working at the bench handling glass over newspaper.

Cold working facilities

Various cold working equipment included

Cold Working Facilities
Kiln Hire
An industrial room with cement flooring and steel framework. On either side of the room are lines of different sized blue rectangular kilns. At the far end of the room a person wearing gloves takes a white flat box out of a kiln.

Kiln Hire

Large flatbed kiln and a selection of electric kilns available.

Kiln Hire
Waterjet Cutter
A person wearing pink overalls leans over a large metal platform. They are holding a red piece of glass on a slab of plywood. A piece of machinery works over the glass. Behind them is a control panel with a screen and lots of buttons.

Waterjet cutter

Abrasive CNC Waterjet Cutter for use with glass and other materials.

Waterjet Cutter
Mould-Making Facilities
An industrial looking workshop with steel framework and metal pipes along the ceiling. A person to the left holds small white trowel over a bowl next to black and yellow extractor pipes. To the centre, a person stands behind a work bench.

Mould-making facilities

Various equipment included

Mould-Making Facilities
An industrial workplace with machinery and steel framework. A person in the foreground holds a yellow plank into a flatbed machine. Behind them is a person carrying a yellow plank with a red frame across the room.

Silk screen printing

Six workstations with torches available.

Commercial rate £15 + VAT per hour or £36 + VAT per day.

A person wearing protective glasses stands behind a metal workbench and holds a glass tube into a bright flame torch that is fastened to the desk.

Lampworking area

Six workstations with torches available.

Commercial rate £15 + VAT per hour or £36 + VAT per day.

Get in touch

To find out more about our facilities or if you would like to arrange hire, contact a member of our studio team.

 

Tim Betterton

tim.betterton@sunderland.ac.uk
0191 515 2117

 

Christine Keers

christine.keers@sunderland.ac.uk
0191 515 5507