A warm welcome awaits at art galleries and museums across the region which are inviting everyone to make full use of free entry and cosy spaces in a bid to help those struggling with rising cost of living pressures and loneliness.
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, which runs nine local visitor attractions including Laing Art Gallery and Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle, is keen to see people take advantage of free entry and a warm environment where they can sit and rest, meet new friends and use the free wi-fi on offer. And many of the venues have free exhibitions and will be hosting special events to enjoy at the same time.
Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend will be waiving its usual admissions charge for local residents, in the NE28 area, to encourage them to drop in to take advantage of what's on offer and all the venues are accessible and have baby-changing facilities. The hope is that bringing people together in a cosy, safe space will also help combat loneliness.
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The idea behind it comes in response to what TWAM calls the "huge challenges" facing local communities - also including poverty and inequality - during the cost of living crisis and it says: "Visiting a museum or gallery can be a great way to boost physical and mental health." There also will be a series of free Warm Welcome events, which will include an introduction to the venues so that people can find out more about where they are while making the most of an opportunity to meet others.
These events will include a series of Picture of the Month talks every Saturday at the Laing Art Gallery, from 11am-11.55am, and a Museum Social at Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead from 10.30am-12.30pm on March 7 - then the following first Tuesdays of every month - which will be a drop-in coffee morning aimed at helping to improve people's wellbeing. TWAM director Keith Merrin said: "At Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, we know how challenging it is financially for everyone at the moment.
"Our museums and galleries are warm, free and accessible and the Warm Welcome events mean there’s also opportunities for people to socialise with friends or meet new people. It's a fundamental part of our mission that we use art and heritage to support people’s health and wellbeing.”
For more information about the Warm Welcome initiative see here and the full list of participating venues is below. All have free attractions but current free exhibitions are also highlighted.
Newcastle
Discovery Museum - free entry. This venue offers an opportunity to learn about the history of Newcastle and its achievements over the ages. There's a permanent free exhibition, Destination Tyneside, to enjoy and a free exhibition Stories of Service runs until February 26
Great North Museum: Hancock - free entry. Natural history and archaeology are the focus of this museum which has a free exhibition, Challenging Legacies: The Kingdom of Iraq and Gertrude Bell, running until March 5
Hatton Gallery - free entry. This venue showcases modern and contemporary art. An exhibition - Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Paths to Abstraction - runs until May 20
Laing Art Gallery - free entry. A wealth of oil paintings and watercolours feature here. A free permanent exhibition, 100 Years of Collecting, is on offer
Gateshead
Shipley Art Gallery - free entry. This venue is renowned for its ceramics and decorative arts and crafts. A free exhibition to enjoy here is Treasures from the Collection which is permanent
South Tyneside
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery - free entry. Visitors can learn all about the story of South Tyneside in this dedicated museum. On show, until April 13, is the exhibition From the Painter's Soul
Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort - free entry. Visitors can see some fascinating reconstructions of Roman buildings
North Tyneside
Segedunum Roman Fort - free entry is available to those living in the NE28 postcode area. The local story of the Roman Empire and Hadrian's Wall is waiting to be discovered
Stephenson Steam Railway - free entry. There is plenty to learn here about the North East's railway heritage
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