National Gallery roadshow coming to Sunderland

A "road trip" to celebrate the 200th anniversary the National Gallery is coming to Sunderland.

The Cultural Spring, which works to increase engagement in the arts and culture across Sunderland and South Tyneside, is one of 18 organisations which will host Art Road Trip, a year-long programme of learning activities and events celebrating creativity and the arts.

The National Gallery’s bicentennial plans include 200 creative public engagements and work with 40,000 people, bringing art and ideas inspired by the National Gallery’s collection to the heart of their communities.

The National Gallery’s Art Road Trip arrives in the North East in November, with an art studio on wheels, filled with high-quality art materials, ideas and creativity.

The gallery’s Learning team is working with The Cultural Spring on a two- week programme to suit Sunderland and South Tyneside.

The programme of events and activities will be designed to reach people and places who otherwise would not have ready access to art, introducing new audiences to art, the National Gallery and creative opportunities locally.

The Cultural Spring has taken 15 Community Champions and venue organisers from across Sunderland and South Tyneside to meet the gallery’s Learning Team at its Trafalgar Square home.

The group was shown the National Gallery’s collection and had the opportunity to discuss the Art Road Trip’s programme.

Art Road Trip also includes opportunities for schools to participate in the gallery’s flagship programmes for school-age children.

The National Gallery is among the world's greatest. Founded by Parliament in 1824, it houses the nation’s collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the late 13th to the early 20th century.

Supporting Art Road Trip and the wider "NG200" project, the free-to-enter National Gallery has also announced an appeal to raise the final £5.8 million needed to enrich peoples’ lives with art.

The gallery wants people to "give today, inspire tomorrow" and share this chance to shape its next 200 years.

Emma Horsman, The Cultural Spring’s project director, said: “We’re very excited to be one of 18 hosts for the Art Road Trip project.

"For the last ten years, The Cultural Spring has worked to bring arts into the communities of Sunderland and South Tyneside, and this opportunity enables us to do so with an internationally-respected arts institution."