Eight artists from around the North-East exhibiting a wide variety of 2D and 3D work. Demonstrations and ‘Have-a-Go’ sessions each day.

In the fortnight running up to the Designer Makers Market on Good Friday & Easter Saturday, eight of the artists taking part will exhibit their work in The Witham Gallery.

The artists are all from the North East of England and will be exhibiting a wide variety of 2D and 3D work. Lampwork glass, ceramic wildlife sculpture, felt fibre art, pastel paintings, sea glass art, paper collage, lino-cut prints and textile art.

Each day one of the artists will be in the gallery doing demonstrations or running 'have-a-go' sessions - keep an eye out on facebook for news of what's happening and when.

This exhibition will be a display of young people’s photography featuring their views of Teesdale.

The young people have been involved in a project to learn about their Teesdale; the heritage and landscape of their community. They have used photography as a tool in order to do this. Come and see their hard work in full glory at The Witham.  Gallery usually closed Sunday and  Monday.

Two halls showcasing approximately thirty 'handpicked' designers, artists & craftspeople from around the region and beyond. Meet the makers and buy or commission handcrafted goods of gallery quality, with original work and a strong 'up-cycled' theme. Watch demonstrations and ‘have-a-go’.
Admission is free but a donation to St Teresa's Hospice would be gratefully received.

Teesdale Art Net returns to The Witham with a fresh collection of work for 2019. Featuring new members, this diverse selling exhibition showcases the talent of artists living and working in Teesdale.  Gallery usually closed Sunday and Monday

Mortal Fools & Tyne Valley Youth Theatre present...'I Weigh', a brand new theatre show created by young people in response to the online ‘@i_weigh’ movement.

The show is a fun and poignant journey through what it is like living in a world that places value on the superficial, distorts self-image and asks questions about the expectations that are placed on us every day.

What can you really tell about someone from their Instagram feed? We tell the world we’re feeling #blessed, that we’re #livingourbestlives, and only here for the #goodvibes, but what do we do when we’re feeling anxious, uncomfortable, stressed or alone? In a world full of highs, we don’t know how to deal with the lows.

I Weigh is a dynamic and thought-provoking show that explores what we are worth and how we can learn to value and accept ourselves and each other in today’s world.

Experience the decadence and elegance of 1870s Paris in David McVicar’s spectacular production of Gounod’s best-loved opera.

There are many versions of the story of Faust, who trades his soul with the Devil for youth and power, but Gounod’s opera remains one of the most constantly enthralling. Michael Fabiano stars as Faust, with Diana Damrau as his beloved Marguerite and Erwin Schrott as the diabolical Méphistophélès. Virtuoso leading roles, a large chorus, sensational sets, ballet and an ecstatic finale make this the epitome of theatrical spectacle – the lavish scale of French grand opera is wonderfully in evidence in this production by David McVicar, set in 1870s Paris. Above all, the music includes several of popular opera’s most recognizable numbers, performed by a cast of great international singers and the Royal Opera Chorus.

ManHealth and The Witham join forces with the makers of Academy-Award-winning documentary Evelyn. Evelyn is a powerful story about a family bereaved by suicide. The film follows the family on a hike across the UK, and documents their bereavement process as three siblings confront a past they’d previously found hard to discuss, while repairing fractures in their own relationships. The beautiful film has Oscar-winning director, and Evelyn’s older brother, Orlando von Ensiedel, at the helm. “Suicide affects thousands of lives in the UK every year, and remains the single biggest killer of men under 49 In 2017 there were 4,383 male suicides in the UK. Awareness and the prominence of this issue is growing and we believe that’s partly down to projects like Evelyn that force us to confront a subject which we, as a society, shy away from. We’re proud to be working alongside the Evelyn team and we believe the film will help people tragically bereaved by suicide.” 

ManHealth run peer support groups for men with Depression and other Mental Health conditions. The project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The groups are open to men affected by depression and other mental health conditions to share friendship and support. All ManHealth groups are run by men with lived experience of mental ill health. The groups are designed to provide an opportunity to meet new friends, helping to end the social stigma, and loneliness of mental ill health.

All profits from ticket sales will go to support ManHealth.

Running time: 90 mins with 10 mins extra footage from ManHealth

In this funny and honest solo, Shane Shambhu combines Indian dance with amusing storytelling to lead audiences on a revealing journey of his life experiences. 

From unlikely Indian dance student to “rude boy” to international performer.

With his inimitable charm and wit, Shane will have you laughing out loud as he reveals his past through a vivid display of characters, lived experiences and comical stories, reflecting on how race, language, cultures and identity have defined him and his career.

Baltic Crossing use their strong affinity for old dance music and respect for each others traditions to bring a new youthful energy to the folk music of Europe. Wherever they meet, at least one must cross the Baltic Sea. With award-winning members hailing from the UK, Finland and Denmark, Baltic Crossing bring you fiery Scandinavian fiddles, bubbling Northumbrian pipes and a driving guitar and double bass rhythm section. Baltic Crossing is:

Ian Stephenson [UK]: guitar & button accordion

Andy May [UK]: Northumbrian bagpipes & piano

Esko Järvelä [FI]: five-stringed violin

Antti Järvelä [FI]: mandolin & double bass

Kristian Bugge [DK]: violin

New Zealand’s Anne Chamberlain performs this inspiring new play about the courageous and visionary life of Eglantyne Jebb, the passionate social reformer, human rights pioneer and founder of Save the Children

From her Shropshire childhood, she went on to Oxford University, Bloomsbury parties, heartbreak, suffrage rallies, spiritualism, the Balkans and arrest in Trafalgar Square.

She drafted the Rights of the Child which evolved into the United Nations Convention. Eglantyne Jebb was one of the most influential, yet least known women of the 20th Century. This is her extraordinary story.

“Outstanding performance, engaging and endearing, a great show” -TheReviewsHub.com

Supported by Highlights Rural Touring Scheme

Julian Norton is the star of the popular Channel 5 Television series The Yorkshire Vet, the hit fly-on-the-wall documentary series that follows his work in and around the Yorkshire Moors and Dales.  Julian is also a best-selling Author of three titles ‘A Yorkshire Vet Through the Seasons’ and ‘Horses, Heifers and Hairy Pigs: The Life of a Yorkshire Vet’, and his latest book ‘The Diary of Yorkshire Vet’ was published on 17 September 2018.

In ‘An Evening With’ he will share amusing anecdotes from his veterinary work in North Yorkshire.  These true stories bring to life the drama and humour in the daily routine of a rural vet.

Join Julian for a fun and fascinating evening, sometimes sad, often funny, yet always warm and compassionate. This show is an inspiration for anyone who loves animals, with Julian’s passion and commitment always at the fore.

The hilarious Yorkshire Poet, Writer & Performer - Kate Fox will be compering the show.

In their 30th year Musicians Unlimited has twenty regular members and play music spanning from Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and Count Basie to Glen Miller, Frank Sinatra and Michael Bubble. In 1997, they won the prestigious gold award in the Boosey and Hawkes national big band competition. They have 4 albums out, with the last one raising over £15,000 for the Charity ‘Support Your Bowel’ in 2012.

Death Café provides a relaxed atmosphere (with tea/coffee and cake available from The Witham Café) in which to talk about death and dying. It aims to “increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives”.

The agenda is open: no speakers, no sales, no advice. Just bring your curiosity, questions, anxieties, experiences and let’s have interesting conversations! Facilitated by Tamara Bibby and hosted in The County Room at The Witham

Death Café was founded by Jon Underwood based on the work of Bernard Crettaz.

For more information, please visit their website: www.deathcafe.com or see our Facebook page @deathcafebarnardcastle

Death Cafe's will be held on Saturday 2nd March, Saturday 13th April and Saturday 11 May, 2pm - 4pm

Price: Free (donations towards the cost of the room hire are welcome).

The Drystones are a young lively folk duo from Priddy in Somerset playing violin, guitar and whistle, who have made a big splash since they formed in July 11. The Drystones have played festivals all over the West Country (including Larmer Tree, Sidmouth, Broadstairs, Purbeck and Folk East), and at their 2013 Glastonbury Festival performance they were highlighted by Steve Lamacq on Radio 2 as his "recommendation of the day". According to Living Tradition “to describe their instrumental style as spirited and animated would be akin to asserting that Bellowhead can be quite an energetic band”!

Henry King Spark was a megalomaniac maverick businessman who started his career 150 years ago as a printer in Barnard Castle before making the coal deal of his life. With the proceeds, he bought a mansion, a railway, a newspaper and some mines and then he took on the ruling elite of Darlington, promising the working man that he would drain the swamp of the Quakers. He successfully forced the formation of the town’s first democratic council and then its own MP, but his attempts to seize power for himself were thwarted by the desperate Pease Party’s underhand – even despicable – tactics. Beaten, broken and bankrupt, he was booted out of Darlo in 1880, and spent his last decades quietly rehabilitating himself in Barney where he became a vice-president of the Mechanics Institute – which, of course, is now the Witham Hall.

Chris Lloyd is the chief feature writer of The Northern Echo and Darlington & Stockton Times, where he writes mainly about local history and local politics. A former North-East Journalist of the Year, he is the author of ten books and regularly appears on radio and television.

Two recent works and one world premiere showcase the contemporary face of The Royal Ballet.  The contemporary face of The Royal Ballet is shown in works from three of today’s leading choreographers. Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour is based around seven couples separating and intermingling, to music by Vivaldi and Bosso and lit with rich colours suggested by sunset. Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern, revived for the first time, uses a large dance ensemble and Górecki’s familiar music from his Symphony of Sorrowful Songs for a poignant and passionate reflection on migration. Between them, a new work by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, created on The Royal Ballet has its premiere to bring the contemporary truly up-to-date.
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon | Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui | Crystal Pite
Music: Ezio Bosso and Antonio Vivaldi | TBC | Henryk Mikołaj Górecki
Three ballets - approx. 195 minutes (including two intervals)

After the recent box office smash Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen of Rock takes you on a journey through the headline hits of Freddie Mercury and Queen

This is a unique, original show, performed by an extremely talented cast of 10. In the ever-competitive ‘Queen’ market there is usually a frontman with a band – this show takes a different take on the music and explores the intricate harmonies and sounds Queen were known for.

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage

RANT is the meeting of 4 of Scotland’s finest fiddle players, two from the Shetland Islands and two from the Highlands. Nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2014 for Best Traditional track, they tour their unique brand of ‘chamber-folk’ far and wide.

Bethany Reid, Jenna Reid, Lauren MacColl and Anna Massie join forces to create a sound which is both rich and lush, yet retaining all the bite and spark synonymous with a Scottish fiddle player. Using just  their  fiddles,  they  weave  a  tapestry  of  melodies,  textures,  layers  and  sounds. Known for their work as soloists and with various bands, this is a celebration of the instrument they all have a passion for.

Gillian Anderson (X-Files, NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) and Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) lead in All About Eve, broadcast live to cinemas from the West End in London.

All About Eve tells the story of Margo Channing. Legend. True star of the theatre. The spotlight is hers, always has been. But now there’s Eve. Her biggest fan. Young, beautiful Eve. The golden girl, the girl next door. But you know all about Eve…don’t you…?

Presented by Fidget Theatre in association with LittleMighty . Billy and Bo are best of brothers. They both have big hair. Bird’s Nest Hair! One day Bo starts school and Billy has no-one to play with. Suddenly a magical bird chirps out of his curly, bird’s nest hair. The bird grants him three wishes.

Fidget Theatre brings Billy’s fantastical wishes to life with their trademark wit and warmth, blending imaginative storytelling, puppetry and playful audience interaction. Bird’s Nest Billy is an adventurous, playful show for 3-7 year olds and their grown-ups.  Written & Directed by Ruth Cooper and Andrea Heaton.  Designed by Emma Williams.  Sound Design by Ed Heaton.  Lighting Design by Charlotte Woods.  Technical Stage Manager Kayleigh Chapman

www.fidgettheatre.com

Twitter: @fidgettheatre

FB: /FidgetTheatre

Insta: fidgettheatrecompany

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage

"I envy the Japanese" Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo.  In the exhibition on which this film is based - VAN GOGH & JAPAN at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam - one can see why. Though Vincent van Gogh never visited Japan it is the country that had the most profound influence on him and his art. One cannot understand Van Gogh without understanding how Japanese art arrived in Paris in the middle of the 19th century and the profound impact it had on artists like Monet, Degas and, above all, Van Gogh.

Visiting the new galleries of Japanese art in Paris and then creating his own image of Japan – through in-depth research, print collecting and detailed discussions with other artists – Van Gogh’s encounter with Japanese artworks gave his work a new and exciting direction. After leaving Paris for the south of France – to what he thought of as near to a kind of Japan as he could find - the productive and yet troubled years that followed must all be seen in the context of Van Gogh bending Japanese influences to his will and defining himself as a modern artist with clear Asian precursors. In this little known story of Van Gogh’s art we see just how important his study of Japan was. The film travels not only to France and the Netherlands but also to Japan to further explore the remarkable heritage that so affected Van Gogh and made him the artist we know of today.

Directed by David Bickerstaff

Running time: Approx. 85 mins

In a reimagined 1590, England is a matriarchy. Baptista Minola is seeking to sell off her son Katherine to the highest bidder. Cue an explosive battle of the sexes in this electrically charged love story. Justin Audibert (Snow in Midsummer, The Jew of Malta) turns Shakespeare’s fierce, energetic comedy of gender and materialism on its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power.

'Dispatches on The Red Dress' is a deeply connecting musical essay, uniquely presented in song, poetry, fiddle music and storytelling by twice-BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winner, Rowan Rheingans. As a testimony to Rowan's reputation as one of the foremost composers and innovators on today's folk scene, this project has been funded by grants from Arts Council England, PRS Women Make Music and the EDFSS. 

The show centres around Rowan's German grandmother's stories from her childhood under the Nazi regime, using one true story to explore a rich tapestry of themes including: memory, trauma-recovery, waltzes, fascism, history, handicraft, identity, folk-song and bird-song, family and war. It is at once an urgent and very relevant anti-war piece, which questions our collective handling of 'dark histories' in the present day political climate, as well as an uplifting and poignant celebration of small acts of resistance, transformation, human empathy and hope. 

Cara Dillon occupies an enviable position at the very top of her genre. This extraordinary Irish singer has been captivating audiences and achieving exceptional acclaim for over 20 years. She has (according to Mojo magazine) "Quite possibly the world's most beautiful female voice"

.Alongside a selection of favourites from her previous releases, Cara will be performing material from her new album ""Wanderer"" which is a collection of beautiful and moving songs recorded in an intimate setting with her husband and musical partner Sam Lakeman. Every note and word sung with a passion and confidence earned through a life of experience singing traditional songs. Legions of fans will attest to theirimpassioned performances with Cara's warm and natural stage presence something to savour.

Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers encounter passion and tragedy in Kenneth MacMillan’s 20th-century ballet masterpiece. Shakespeare’s enduring love story is known the world over. Since its 1965 premiere with The Royal Ballet, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet has become a modern ballet classic. The choreography captures the emotions of the young couple as they fall in love, despite the barriers that finally bring about the story’s tragic end. Each revival gives opportunities for new dancers to interpret the doomed lovers. The whole Company brings the colour and action of Renaissance Verona, where a busy market all too quickly bursts into sword fighting, and a family feud leads to tragedy for both the Montagues and Capulets.

Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan

Music: Sergei Prokofiev

Approx. 195 minutes (including two intervals)

The Reg Vardy Band are renowned for high quality concerts of new music alongside the more traditional brass band repertoire.

Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel Small Island comes to life in an epic new theatre adaptation. Small Island embarks on a journey from Jamaica to Britain, through the Second World War to 1948 – the year the HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.

Hope and humanity meet stubborn reality as the play traces the tangled history of Jamaica and the UK. A company of 40 actors take to the stage of the National Theatre in this timely and moving story.

Jewellery, prints, jams, toys, cards, scarves, hats, chocolate, soaps, knitted-gifts, puzzles, wooden-gifts, bags, vintage

America, 1947. Despite hard choices and even harder knocks, Joe and Kate Keller are a success story. They have built a home, raised two sons and established a thriving business. But nothing lasts forever and their contented lives, already shadowed by the loss of their eldest boy to war, are about to shatter. With the return of a figure from the past, long buried truths are forced to the surface and the price of their American dream is laid bare.

Broadcast live from The Old Vic in London, Academy Award-winner Sally Field (Steel Magnolias, Brothers & Sisters) and Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Independence Day) star in Arthur Miller’s blistering drama All My Sons. Jeremy Herrin (NT Live: This House, People, Places & Things) directs a cast including Jenna Coleman (Victoria), and Colin Morgan (Merlin).

America, 1947. Despite hard choices and even harder knocks, Joe and Kate Keller are a success story. They have built a home, raised two sons and established a thriving business. But nothing lasts forever and their contented lives, already shadowed by the loss of their eldest boy to war, are about to shatter. With the return of a figure from the past, long buried truths are forced to the surface and the price of their American dream is laid bare.

Broadcast live from The Old Vic in London, Academy Award-winner Sally Field (Steel Magnolias, Brothers & Sisters) and Bill Pullman (The Sinner, Independence Day) star in Arthur Miller’s blistering drama All My Sons. Jeremy Herrin (NT Live: This House, People, Places & Things) directs a cast including Jenna Coleman (Victoria), and Colin Morgan (Merlin).

Amanda Owen is a shepherdess, farmer’s wife, mother to nine children, a passionate photographer and a Sunday Times bestselling author.  Amanda’s first book The Yorkshire Shepherdess from 2014 offers an inspiring account of her transformation from Huddersfield townie to rural sheep farmer. Her second book A Year in the Life of the Yorkshire Shepherdess made it to number 2 in the bestsellers charts. Amanda has also appeared on Countrywise (ITV), The Dales (ITV) and Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild (C5).

"To whom should I complain?"  When a young novice nun is compromised by a corrupt official, who offers to save her brother from execution in return for sex, she has no idea where to turn for help. When she threatens to expose him, he tells her that no one would believe her. Shakespeare wrote this play in the early 1600s, yet it remains astonishingly resonant today. Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, directs this new production."

It is said that a change is as good as a rest, and for Katie Doherty it is both a rest, and a change, that provide the backdrop to her latest album 'And Then'  Back in 2007, Doherty became an award-winning songwriter, and released her debut solo album Bridges to much acclaim - including airplay from BBC Radio 2 - leading her to share stages with the likes of Karine Polwart, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and Ray Davies. Life however - as it has a habit of doing - got in the way, putting the brakes for the moment on a soaring trajectory.

It was after the success of November Club’s rural touring musical Beyond The End of the Road, for which Katie composed the score, that a spark was ignited and The Navigators emerged. Shona Mooney on fiddle and vocals (The Shee, former BBC Radio Scotlands Young Traditional Musician of the year)and Dave Gray on melodeon and vocals (Världens Band) elevate Katie’s songs, and the trio often sound much bigger than a three.

It perhaps should not be a huge surprise then that much of Doherty’s new album is rooted in her keen observation of the concept of change. Whether the focus be on the changing seasons, life circumstances, the passage of time, or the shifting of social attitudes and behaviour, on And Then we see Doherty shine a light on how it feels to be part of a world that can be hard

“Hers is an ascent worth following… and then some.” - Folk Radio

“And Then is a timely interval, a brief moment if respite, an oasis of tranquility…thankfully there are those in the world who have the foresight to take stock and recognise whats important” FATEA Magazine

“Real life has rarely sounded as good.” - NARK Magazine

“This is lovely!” - Mark Radcliffe

“And Then is poetic, original and brings a traditional folk style into the 21st Century” - Maverick Magazine

“And Then, well, play it again. It’s an album of great musicianship to bring you joy and was well worth waiting for” - ArtsDesk.com"