New £7.5m Glassworks Sunderland facility announced for Sunniside

Sunderland Culture has announced that it has been awarded a £5m grant from the DCMS Cultural Development Fund, towards establishing Glassworks: Sunderland.

The company, which operates the bulk of Sunderland’s major cultural venues, says the new centre will ensure the future of glass as a visual artform and secure the heritage skills for contemporary practice.

The announcement comes after it was announced in early 2023 that the nationally-renowned National Glass Centre on the banks of the Wear would be closing in 2026 due to a multimillion-pound bill for structural issues, which is believed to include roof leaks, corrosion and broken glazing.

Sunderland Culture will collaborate with partners including the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) along with Sunderland City Council and the University of Sunderland on the development of Glassworks: Sunderland, aimed at being a “nationally-significant centre of excellence for glassmaking.”

Glassworks: Sunderland will be located in the Sunniside area of Sunderland city centre, where the city council is leading regeneration plans to boost the creative economy.

The Sunderland Culture statement reads: “The new facility will build on the city’s position as a leading international centre of excellence for glassmaking, while unlocking economic growth for the city, contributing to the regeneration of Sunniside, and securing important heritage skills for the future.

“The significant £5m grant towards the £7.5m project will come from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Cultural Development Fund, which is administered by Arts Council England.”

The funding is part of a £10m Government investment in the region’s cultural offer, which also includes £5m to establish a new centre for writing in central Newcastle.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “The North East’s cultural offer is strong, and steeped in the pride and creativity of our people, places and industrial heritage.

“Now this investment means we are making it even better, and helping the North East stand tall on the national and international stage.

“I want the world to know about our world-class arts and culture and discover our region, as a Mayor, I will back these industries.

“These investments will help create jobs, attract visitors, revitalise our city centres and create more opportunity for people across the North East to enjoy our brilliant cultural offer.”

However, Wearside Liberal Democrats say the proposed new facility is a “downgrade” from the National Glass Centre, which is owned by University of Sunderland.

The NGC will close in July 2026, less than 30 years after the £17m facility opened on St Peter’s Riverside.

Opposition Lib Dem councillor Niall Hodson, said: “This is undoubtedly a downgrade which we are being asked to applaud.

“The much-loved and culturally significant National Glass Centre is still going to go due to the University’s wilful neglect and indifference from the Council and local MPs who refused to try and save it.

“Whilst plans for saving some glass making facilities on Wearside are to be welcomed, the announcement raises more questions than answers. What is the future of the Glass Centre’s collections, exhibitions, and teaching? And what will happen to the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art?

“The University’s continued involvement will also feel like a kick in the teeth for campaigners after their negligence since taking over the National Glass Centre, and for glass makers after sacking ceramics and glass-making staff.”

The Save the National Glass Centre campaign group, which has fought hard to preserve centuries of glassmaking on Wearside, accruing more than 35,000 signatures of support, has welcomed the development, but continues its campaign to stop the demolition of NGC.

Jo Howell, Save the National Glass Centre campaigner and photographic artist, said: “The National Glass Centre is representative of approximately £36 million in public funding and the land it sits on is contaminated posing a serious risk to our delicate marine environment.

“There is also the question of embodied carbon. Still aspects not yet addressed by the owners.

“Glassworks: Sunderland sounds like a much reduced and less prestigious endeavour than the global level of recognition that the National Glass Centre has achieved.

“Imagine if we put the £7.5 million into sorting out the building we already have? Sustainable and sensible to build on what already exists.”

Reflecting on the history of glassmaking in Sunderland

A stone's throw from National Glass Centre lie St Peter’s Church, where French glaziers created Britain’s first stained glass in AD674 after Benedict Biscop brought them over to craft windows for the Monkwearmouth monastery.

The French craftsmen who visited Sunderland in the 7th century passed on the skill to locals, making Sunderland one of the earliest centres of glassmaking in the country, and by the 19th century it was a booming industry.

Along with shipbuilding and coal mining, glassmaking played a huge role in the city’s industrial heritage and was fuelled by the availability of cheap coal and high-quality imported sand, the two key raw materials needed for large-scale glass production.

Some of the biggest factories included Turnbull's Cornhill Flint Glassworks at Southwick, open from 1865 to 1953, which operated for decades, as well as Wear Flint Glass Works, known from 1921 as James A. Jobling and Co Ltd.

The latter made the iconic Pyrex brand which, thanks to its heat-resistant properties, became a staple item in kitchens across the world after being sold in its millions. Every single piece of Pyrex back then, many of which is now a collector’s item, was made right here in Sunderland.