NOVUM Newcastle 2023
Newcastle Civic Centre
August 2023
A NEW STRATEGIC CULTURAL PROGRAMME FOR NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
50 ARTISTS | 600 PARTICIPANTS | 3 DAYS OF EVENTS
ART - MUSIC - WORKSHOPS
NOVUM - Newcastle Summer Festival - is a brand-new festival experience created by Curated Place for Newcastle Upon Tyne. The multi artform event, took place for the first time from 11-13 August 2023, showcasing local, national, and international talent to transform the Civic Centre and surrounding gardens into a cultural playground, where audiences can make, explore and engage with art, music, performances and installations.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
At the core of the inaugural event was the Monumental Construction from globally acclaimed French artist Olivier Grossetête. This incredible, building-sized, cardboard structure was created in collaboration with over 600 volunteers from local communities. This people’s pavilion was a temporary extension to Newcastle's Civic Centre before its "Colossal Destruction" on Sunday, 13 August, when the awe-inspiring architectural marvel was brought down and recycled.
The festival also opened up the modernist marvel that is the Civic Centre as a live music venue for the very first time, hosting three nights of extraordinary musical experiences. The full line-up featured local artists like Amelia Coburn, Faithful Johannes and Hannabiell & Midnight Blue Collective, alongside national and international acts like ORKA, Lou Hayter, Mim Suleiman, Lindstrøm, and Kapil Seshasayee.
Free, drop-in family activities were also available on Saturday 12 from local providers including Northern Print, Chalk, Curious Arts, Bare Toed Dance Co. While the CTRL Pad had free gaming experiences available in the Foyer of the Civic Centre for all three days of the festival.
NOVUM is commissioned by Newcastle City Council and the North of Tyne Combined Authority
