Newcastle: The Creative Hub of the North
Us Geordies know that beauty is more than skin deep. No matter who you are and where you come from, we’ll welcome you to our part of the North with a cheesy grin and the offer of a stottie and a pint or two.
Mind you, Newcastle has much more going for it than the locals (we won’t brag about our brilliant personalities too much!). We’re as open-minded as they come, which makes our city one of the best for creatives with a love of design, live music, street food, art, and fashion.
Not to mention the odd brilliant creative agency in Newcastle!
If you’re not from here, grab your big coat and let us give you a snapshot of why we think Newcastle is the Creative Hub of the North…
The Newcastle Live Music Scene…
For live music, head down to Riverside, a top venue on the Quayside in Newcastle City Centre. Not only will you catch class views at night – but lots of famous artists have played there, like Courtney Love, Interpol, and The Zombies. The venue was actually built inside a Grade II Listed building called Neptune House and is also used to host comedy shows and club nights. The atmosphere is canny, and the people will make your night. If you want to stray from the city centre in favour of an intimate gig, The Cluny in our very own Ouseburn is hard to beat, as is The Holy Hobo in Jesmond.
Best places for art in Newcastle
Forget art galleries and museums with admission prices, the best art in Newcastle is free. You’ve only got to pace the back streets and alleyways of the culturally inclusive city centre or West End to enjoy all mediums of art like mosaics, graffiti, murals, and more. An urban regeneration project called Renew Newcastle was launched about 10 years ago; it had a heavy focus on ‘street art walking’ and turning empty spaces into creative places.
There’s no doubt this initiative has a lot to do with how richly creative Newcastle has become. If you’re impressed by incredible structures and architecture, we’d recommend going to see the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which you’ve probably already seen on every postcard of Newcastle. Or if sculptures are more your thing, then you need to see the Angel of the North up close – you’ll find her on Durham Road, Gateshead.
Blumilk is a particular fan of @ashwillerton and his incredible signwriting.
You can’t turn a corner in Newcastle without spotting some of his signwriting work, and he has truly become an icon of North East Design.
Here, blumilk took inspo from Ash and designed their own:
One of Blumilk’s favourite things: FOOD
We might not have a decadent delicacy like Sunderland’s pink slice or Middlesbrough’s Parmo, but we do have some delicious street food to look out for. Nobody loves a street food truck, cart, or stall more than a whatever-the-weather Geordie, and the same goes for our markets and festivals. The best thing about eating in the street? If Simon wants a pizza and you want authentic Lebanese, then game on! Less time debating, more time to hit the toon. If you’re in Newcastle, Quayside Market is on every Sunday, and Tynemouth Market is every weekend and only a short ‘Metty Mish’ (Metro ride) away. And for Jesmond, try Jesmond Food Market, which pops up one Saturday a month. Was that your belly growling or ours?
It’s Newcastle Fashion Week, Dahling!
Contrary to popular stereotyping about our love of F’Ugg boots and short skirts, Newcastle is actually the fashion capital of the North!
With a steady stream of up-and-coming fashion icons graduating each year from the acclaimed Design School at Northumbria University, it’s of little surprise!
And to celebrate that we have an official Newcastle Fashion Week (well, nine days) of catwalk shows, parties, and local fashionistas showcasing their designs. It’s hosted by NE1 and has a tonne of serious fashion editors in attendance. It’s a sight to behold, whether you’re into fashion or not. Just like Newcastle’s food, art, and music scenes, our fashion is good and influenced by the streets in which we grew up.
Living proof that you don’t have to enroll at Central Saint Martins and up sticks to the big smoke, is Graduate Fashion Week alumni Daisy Podmor-Childe, a former Northumbria University student.
Our Creative Agency in Newcastle
We couldn’t talk about all things creative in Newcastle without a mention of Blumilk.
At the ripe old age of 21, our creative agency in Newcastle has gone from strength to strength.
Once a small creative office and the home of Adam and Colin, our founders, we now stand proud on the edge of the Ouseburn and boast some of the country’s most incredible creative minds and business brains.
From digital design to web development, business growth to development, six out of ten of the leading businesses in the North trust Blumilk with their brand.
Take a trip on the Metro from Tynemouth to Monument to see us standing in all our glory as you venture across the Byker viaduct.
