Baltic and The Glasshouse team up for Summer Block Party on NewcastleGateshead quayside

Two iconic North East arts venues have joined forces to stage a huge Summer Block Party on the NewcastleGateshead quayside on Saturday 4 July.

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music will host a full day of live music, artist and makers markets, talks, tours, and drop-in sessions both inside and outside the two venues.

50 people will also have the chance to book tickets for an immersive album listening party for Sam Fender’s Official Chart number one album, People Watching, which will include a curator-led tour of the new Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz exhibition at Baltic. Murtha’s much-loved photography of Newcastle upon Tyne and the North East famously features on the artwork of Fender’s latest album and single releases.

Summer Block Party: Baltic x The Glasshouse begins with the official opening of two new exhibitions at Baltic – Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz: Close to Home on Level 3 of the gallery and Journey to the Great Below by Brooklyn-based artist Chitra Ganesh on Level 4.

Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz: Close to Home is a new and expansive exhibition of acclaimed work by the late Tish Murtha, presented alongside newly commissioned work by Newcastle-based artist, Kuba Ryniewicz. The new exhibition marks the first time four major series by documentary photographer Tish Murtha have been shown together in the North East. Born in South Shields in 1956, Murtha returned to Newcastle upon Tyne after university to document life in her community of Elswick. Her photographs capture the social impact of industrial decline with honesty, empathy and urgency, offering a powerful account of working-class life in the North East. Her work has been depicted most recently on album and single sleeves by Mercury Prize-winning North East artist Sam Fender.

On Level 4 of Baltic, visitors will be able to experience the work of Brooklyn-based artist Chitra Ganesh in Journey to the Great Below. Featuring a new animation, newly commissioned sculptural works and a site-specific wall drawing, Ganesh’s work creates richly layered worlds that probe epic myths and historical narratives to offer speculative visions of society. The exhibition will also feature a selection of recent paintings, prints, works on paper and mixed media works. Later in the afternoon (16:00), Baltic Senior Curator Emma Dean will be joined by Chitra Ganesh for a special tour of the artist’s exhibition. Revealing unique insights into Ganesh’s practice and work, the artist and curator tour is free to attend. Places can be booked now at baltic.art/tickets

At 11:00am, more than 50 artists and makers from across the North and beyond will set up stall in Baltic’s car park for the gallery’s annual Art Car Boot Fair. Featuring more than 50 stalls selling original and affordable artwork, crafts, ceramics, prints, homewares and more, live DJs from Deja Brew provide the chilled soundtrack throughout the al fresco Art Car Boot Fair.

At 12noon, a special ticketed event will bring together the work of two North East artists. Lens to Lyrics begins with an experiential album listening party at The Glasshouse, where 50 people will be immersed in the sharp observations, big feelings, and familiar lives depicted in Sam Fender’s Mercury Prize winning album, People Watching. A special menu of Geordie Tapas will add to the flavours of the North East.

After the music, ticket holders will make their way to Baltic for an insightful tour of the new Tish Murtha & Kuba Ryniewicz exhibition, led by Baltic Curators Niomi Fairweather and Rose McMurray. The tour will discuss the stories behind Murtha’s iconic photography and how her work has been carried into new generations by its use on Sam Fender’s album and single artwork. Tickets cost £35 and are bookable from theglasshouse.org from Friday 24 April.

The music will continue at The Glasshouse with DJ sets from Liam West and Omar (Zeytoun), who will be playing funk, groove, house and global sounds until 3pm. There’ll also be food and drink stalls from The Greekster, Hizzy Pizza, Wylam Brewery and many more.

Local businesses, makers, crafters and artisans are being invited to take part in a Makers Market at The Glasshouse, showcasing more North East talent from across the region. In keeping with the themes of arts and music, The Glasshouse is keen to hear from people that sell music and vinyl, vintage clothing, music-themed merch, and art in all its forms. Anyone interested in being part of the Makers Market at The Glasshouse can apply via theglasshouseicm.org (deadline 2 May).

Baltic’s Level 6 Rooftop becomes a Cocktail Lounge from 3pm-10pm. With stunning panoramic views of the quayside, the bar will be serving drinks including Summer Watermelon Coolers in both cocktail and mocktail versions.

Other events and activities at the Summer Block Party: Baltic x The Glasshouse include the creation of a collective alphabet collage with North-East-based artists and designers Foundation Press (1pm – 2:30pm). Visitors to Baltic will be invited to cut and stick materials from worksheets, templates and recycled risograph prints onto a new collage that will be constructed in one afternoon.

Jewellery brand Weezy Pop, which was founded in 2024 by designer and creative Lou Cowley, will be stationed in Baltic Shop throughout the day with a joyful, feel good Pop-Up where visitors can personalise, engrave and style their own charm jewellery. There will also be a large selection of ready to buy pieces, plus limited edition Baltic exclusives. Expect spin to win, sweet treats and all the good vibes. Weezy Pop has quickly grown from a kitchen table passion project into one of the North East’s most joyful jewellery brands.

Musician, composer, and artist Sarah Li opens the doors to the Queer Pleasure Archive at Baltic Library from 10am. Taking a fresh look at the library collection through a queer lens, this DIY archive art project highlights experiences of Queer joy and pleasure that can sometimes be hard to find or access in traditional collections. And at 2pm, there will be a special pop-up performance from DGA collective (Drag King/Gender-chaos/Alternative Drag) as part of the Opening ‘Chaos’ Party. Pre-booking is required for this event at www.baltic.art

The Summer Block Party continues long into the night as Baltic hosts its Summer Preview Party. Featuring late-night viewings of the two new exhibitions, along with pizza, cocktails, beer and soft drinks in Baltic Riverside overlooking the Tyne, DJs will keep the summer vibes going with sets until midnight. The evening begins at 5:40pm with a Dhol performance on Baltic Square presented in collaboration with GemArts. Early attendees can enjoy a complimentary limited edition Full Circle lager in one of three can designs featuring artwork by Tish Murtha, Kuba Ryniewicz or Chitra Ganesh.

Summer Block Party: Baltic x The Glasshouse takes place on Saturday 4 July at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and on the NewcastleGateshead quayside.

Tickets for Lens to Lyrics, the Sam Fender listening party and Tish Murtha exhibition tour, go on sale on Friday 24 April at 10am from theglasshouse.org.

Tickets for Baltic’s Summer Preview Party can be booked from Friday 1 May at baltic.art/tickets

For more information, including how to secure tickets for bookable events, visit baltic.art and theglasshouse.org.