Gateshead Central Exchange is a public-facing exhibition space curated by
Vane, Orbis Community and the Northeast Creative Network
Located in Gateshead town centre, the window gallery transforms an old bank building into a platform for contemporary art and creative expression. The gallery is visible to everyone who passes through the town centre. It removes barriers often associated with traditional gallery spaces and invites the public to encounter art as part of everyday life. Creatives exhibiting in the window represent a diverse range of practices, from emerging talent to established practitioners connected to the Northeast and beyond.
The programme reflects the values of collaboration, experimentation and accessibility that underpin the wider Orbis Community network. By presenting art directly within the town centre, the window gallery becomes part of the public realm. It creates a place where creativity meets community. Rather than existing as a single venue, this network of spaces creates a distributed creative hub within the town centre. It demonstrates how creativity can be embedded into the fabric of a place. Together these spaces form a creative network that surrounds the town centre, bringing cultural activity into the everyday life of the town. Through the work of Orbis Community, Vane and the Northeast Creative Network, these sites support:
Contemporary art exhibitions - Creative workspace and studios - Workshops and skills development
Partnerships with education and community organisations - Public facing cultural activity
“At Orbis Community we believe our role is not to empower people, but to enable them. The talent is already here in our communities. Future engineers, scientists, chefs, dancers, artists, designers, musicians and entrepreneurs are all around us. What people often need is space, opportunity and support. When we create environments where people can share ideas, collaborate and learn from each other, communities grow stronger, healthier and more confident. When we come together, we realise we are all part of something bigger. Together we are stronger.” Jonpaul Kirvan, Director, Orbis Community
‘Made in Gateshead’
Gateshead Central Exchange Launch, April 2026
Following a community spring clean organised by Victoria Oxley, Gateshead Town Centre Manager, Orbis Community had the opportunity to meet local Mark Ferguson MP while volunteering alongside residents, creatives and local organisations in Gateshead town centre. Passionate about creativity, opportunity and the future of Gateshead, Mark spoke about the importance of creating visible spaces where local people, students and emerging creatives could feel represented and supported within their own community. Through these conversations, an idea began to take shape: transforming an overlooked town centre window into a public exhibition space for local artists, students and community projects. Victoria Oxley’s continued commitment to going the extra mile for community initiatives and town centre regeneration helped turn these conversations into meaningful action.
Building on the momentum created by members of the Northeast Creative Network, who had already been curating smaller pilot exhibitions within the space, the project quickly demonstrated the power of visible, community-led creativity. The artwork displayed throughout the Gateshead Central Exchange represents a collection of recent projects, workshops, pop-ups and creative activity developed across the community, celebrating the positive action and collaboration happening across Gateshead every day. Curation support was provided by Northumbria University Fine Art
One of the most memorable moments came during the exhibition set-up the day before launch, while students were taking photographs beside the window. An older resident carrying shopping bags stopped, looked at the artwork and said:
“Aye, bout time I’ve seen something colourful. Aye thats them bridges, really canny that like!”
Then he smiled and carried on walking. It was a simple but powerful reminder of why projects like the Gateshead Central Exchange matter. Bringing creativity into public spaces can brighten everyday moments, spark conversation and help people feel more connected to the place they call home. What started as a conversation during a volunteer clean-up has now become the Gateshead Central Exchange, a dedicated community exhibition window celebrating local voices, creativity and connection in the heart of Gateshead.
Bernard Quinn - Slow Hand Creative Studio - Mick Wootton - Ali Cook - Gateshead College Arts and Media - The Bewick Society - Pauline Wootton - Maker Space - Will Kirvan - Northeast Creative Network - Ampersand Inventions - Vermin Vault - Doodles by Sophie - Izzy
Gateshead College Arts and Media “Celebrating Difference” Project ’26
and How To Hustle, DARK NIGHTS (Pilot window exhibition)
For more than ten years, the Celebrating Difference project at Gateshead College has provided students with a creative platform to explore themes of equality, diversity, inclusion, identity and community. Through this annual cross-college exhibition, students are encouraged to express their ideas, experiences and perspectives through art and design. This year, we are proud to present the exhibition in collaboration with Orbis Community.
The exhibition showcases selected outcomes from Year 1 students across a range of creative disciplines, including Fashion, Interiors, Photography, Fine Art and Digital Art, highlighting the power of collaboration and creative expression. In Monsters and Mythology, Digital Art students explored folklore and storytelling from cultures around the world, reimagining traditional myths and creatures to celebrate global heritage and imagination. Fine Art students responded to the theme through portraiture and expressive visual work, representing charities, support networks and activist organisations that champion diversity, inclusion and positive change within our communities.
We were also delighted to work alongside Gateshead College on the How To Hustle initiative, supported by Victoria Oxley, where second-year Extended Diploma students developed projects exploring themes of Dark Nights and allyship, taking their ideas from initial creation through to final outcomes. Seeing these projects come to life at Baltic Campus through the DARK NIGHTS micro market was a truly inspiring moment and a testament to the students’ creativity, courage and ambition. Together, these works celebrate the richness of cultural identity and demonstrate the power of art to inspire inclusion, representation, understanding and community connection.
Workshops: Mick Wootton
