Seventeen Nineteen gearing up for busy season of events at the heart of Old Sunderland

Seventeen Nineteen recently celebrated its first anniversary in the city after it brought the historic Holy Trinity Church back to life.

Standing proud in the East End for more than 300 years, Seventeen Nineteen is named after the year the port’s first parish church opened its doors.

Once a cornerstone of Sunderland life, it housed the old town’s council chamber, magistrates’ court, Sunderland’s first reading room and library and was once home to a fire cart in the early days of fire fighting.

Due to dwindling congregation numbers, it closed as a church in 1988 when the Grade I-listed structure was vested into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Over the decades it had fallen into disrepair and was in desperate need of major structural works, but thanks to more than £5million of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sunderland City Council, Benefact Trust and other donors, the Georgian building has been saved for future generations.

Today, it’s a multi-purpose events space that’s hosted everything from wedding and craft fairs to live theatre, gigs and business meetings, as well as still holding six church services a year.

Tracey Mienie​, centre manager, said it’s been a great first year and they’re looking forward to a busy season of events ahead.

"We’ve had a brilliant response to opening up the building,” she said. “We’ve put on live theatre, music, workshops and we’ve had great engagement from the community, from far and wide.

"We also have a great partnership with the local heritage partnership which includes The Donnison School, Sunderland Maritime Heritage and Phoenix Lodge, which is just around the corner. There’s a really strong East End representation in the heritage partnership."

The first year of the new events space has also seen it rack up a number of awards, including: Restoration Project of the Year from the Museums + Heritage Awards, a Conservation & Regeneration award from the Constructing Excellence North East Awards 2022 and winner in the Re-use of a Georgian Building category in the Architectural Awards.

Even though the past year has seen many people come through the doors at Seventeen Nineteen, it’s still somewhat of a hidden gem.

"It’s the heart of Old Sunderland and it’s where our Sunderland story begins,” said Tracey. “But we still have a lot of people who come in every day who say they haven’t heard of us before, they’ve lived in Sunderland their whole lives and don’t know we’re here.

"They’re even more in awe when we tell them this is where it all started. Sunderland started right here in Holy Trinity Church.”

How to visit

As well as being able to visit for events, anyone can call in to Seventeen Nineteen for a look around during its opening hours which are Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm.

There’s a coffee and snack kiosk for visitors as well as fast broadband for those looking to hot desk at the venue. There’s also plenty of free street parking nearby.

Seventeen Nineteen – May & June Events 2023

::10 May - Monthly Heritage Building Tour 10am-12pm

::11 May - Folk Music Lovers, open to musician and audience - 1-4pm

::14 May - #NationalWalkingMonth- Silent Disco Litter Pick 12:30pm-2pm, Old Time Sailors 7pm

::17 May - Conscious Stitch Workshop 5.30-7.30pm

::20 May - #LoveSunderlandHeritage Symposium - Scandalous woman 10am to 2pm

::26 May - Kokodama Workshop 1pm -4pm

::27 May - Young Ambassadors Creative Board 10am-12pm, Family Sensory Tour 1pm Theatre Redcoat 6pm with The Six Twenty & Cultural Spring

::28 May - O’Hooley & Tidow, 7pm

::31 May - Georgian Week Starts Mend Ceramics with Kintsugi 10am-12pm, Georgian Scrapbook 1.30pm-4pm

::1 June - Georgian Walk 1pm-2pm

::2 June - Georgian Fayre 10am-2pm, Georgian Portrait Silhouettes 10am-12pm, Bonnet Workshop 12-1pm, Author Talk with Glenda Young 1pm-2pm, Georgian Lyrics Songwriting Showcase 1pm

::3 June - Creating Model Boats 10am-1pm, Summer Stories Workshop 10-4pm

::4 June - Summer Stories Workshop 10am-4pm

::7 June - Open Mic Night 6-8pm

::14 June - Monthly Building Tour 10am-12pm

::15 June - Cordage Workshop 12-1pm, Bring Your Own Lunch 12pm

::17 June - Summer Stories Workshop 10-4pm

::18 June - Memory Bears Course 10am-4pm

::19 June - Summer Stories Workshop 10-4pm

::24 June – The Songs the Beatles Gave away with Bob Harris & Colin Hall

::28 June - Create a Seed Bomb Workshop

Tickets for all events and listings are available www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/seventeen-nineteen-31836118705