The Creative Legacy of ‘North Shields 800’ – Interview with Dominic Smith
What a year North Shields has had so far, with so much happening to celebrate the town’s 800 years! Dominic Smith from Counterculture has been leading the creative direction team behind North Tyneside Council’s ‘North Shields 800’ programme of events. He shared with us what has been going on behind the scenes to make it all happen as well as his future hopes for the community.
A local resident with family in North Shields and a varied background working with the arts in different communities, Dominic is invested in North Shields 800 and the creative activities it supports. Before he became involved with NS800 in autumn 2024, the council had already begun issuing callouts and holding committee meetings to find out what people would like to do. “We wanted to incorporate a broad range of subjects and ideas to bring enough variety for everyone,” explains Dominic. There was certainly no shortage of ideas, but it was important to ensure the engagement of the local community. Having worked as both an artist and a curator in the past, Dominic feels well placed to help organisations to develop their programs, in particular the unique challenge of NS800: “This isn’t a standard project. Because of my background I can see things from different perspectives. We’ve had to find out what people are doing and get a sense of the enthusiasm for the various types of activity that are going on.”
For example, Dominic stresses how there was a significant amount of consultation surrounding the wall murals commissioned by Elevation to make sure the public art would be well received: “It’s a big thing to introduce into a town. The murals are literally huge!” Fortunately the larger-than-life artworks by local and international artists have been embraced as a welcome addition to the area. Dominic also enthuses about other artistic activities going on in conjunction with NS800: “At the Globe gallery, Kitty McKay has been running workshops on painting with Plasticine, which was invented by William Harbutt from North Shields. I didn’t know it was originally intended for this purpose!” The Old Lowlight heritage centre has offered a wealth of events to celebrate the 800th anniversary. They have organised several local history talks throughout the year as well as exhibitions, including that of photographer Pete Davison, who has been documenting the lives of North Shields fishermen for the past ten years. There has also been a series of workshops, for example one by artist Gaynor Devaney to create a textile map representing the town. “I’m blown away by the quality of the work, and it’s all about heritage and community”, Dominic declares. He was impressed by the success of the Linskill Community Day, a volunteer-led event which brought together many local organisations: “Everyone really cares, whatever their involvement, whether it’s the council, charities or community groups.”
The Parade of Boats and Blessing of the Fleet was another successful and well attended event, led by the Fisherman’s Heritage Project involving the Fisherman’s mission and local school children with processions and musical performances on the Fish Quay. I point out that not everyone in the community seemed to know about this along with some of the other NS800 activities. Dominic explains: “The publicity team have worked hard behind the scenes, keeping people informed via newsletters, social media and the NS800 website. However, sometimes the message only begins to get through to people towards the end of the project rather than at the start.” Delays in funding have prevented some people from being able to advertise their projects in advance: “The challenges have come down to the technicalities of bid writing. Even if only some small changes are needed, you have to go right back and start again from the beginning to resubmit. It can be very time consuming. As with any projects involving a lot of people, you have to be mindful that everyone gets what they need from it. Everyone cares deeply about the region and works very hard to achieve success.” Despite the challenges, Dominic maintains that it is all worth it in the end: “Having worked in the arts for 30 years, I sometimes wonder why I do it, but then I deliver a project where the confidence of people has grown so that they can meet their needs, and it’s all worth it. Through the arts we can take risks and learn about ourselves in a different environment. It’s so valuable. I don’t think I’ve ever been bored in my work.”
NS800 activities have not been limited to the Cultural Quarter. As well as on the Fish Quay and at the Linskill Community Centre, there have been projects in the wider parts of Shields, for example at the Meadows community centre in Meadowell and the Phoenix Detached Youth Project in Chirton. Dominic has previous experience working with engagement and outreach programmes in similar areas including the West End of Newcastle and County Durham: “Culture works when people engage with it. Communities that thrive are communities that trust each other. People can communicate their needs better and have that heard within all the sectors – heritage, culture, business and education.”
What does Dominic envisage for North Shields after the anniversary is over? “If we can get this right, people can get to the end of it having enjoyed it and looking forward to the next phase ahead. So many partner organisations have come together as part of NS800. The structures and the knowledge gained through working in this joined-up way will reap benefits for a long time to come.” At the time of writing, Dominic was still looking forward to events towards the end of the year, such as ‘Deeds, Words and Danger’, a series of heritage workshops by Workie Ticket Theatre inspired by local suffragette, Norah Balls, and the the music documentary ‘Shields in Harmony’ by North East Fuse and Liam Fender. “I didn’t realise the full extent of the local music scene. It’s really exploded. It would be great for that to be recognised more outside of the region, to bring people in just for the music.”
Dominic also refers to plans in place for future projects on the Fish Quay and in Nile Street, where there has already been much creative activity due the community initiative, ‘Project Nile Street’. I Love North Shields has helped to promote and support this alongside many other artistic endeavours, and Dominic recognises the part that the magazine has played in the overall cultural life of the town: “I’ve always been a fan of zines. They’re not expensive. It’s something anybody can get involved in, it’s a cultural act. I Love North Shields has become a central point of information. Social media is so fast. Magazines are an immersive medium with no distractions. The stories in I Love North Shields are rich, you can delve in deep. It’s a permanent record for the archives. It allows people to get to know each other in the town. If it was distributed more widely it could also attract people from elsewhere.”
After NS800 is over, Dominic would like to get back to the studio to concentrate on some of his own work as an artist: “I’ve produced some critically questioning work involving digital and new media. As I get older I find myself wanting to slow down. I’d like to return to darkroom processes, screen and relief print. Art can be a place where we can slow down and reflect. It enriches our lives at the end of the day.” It is a simple but powerful aim – to enrich people’s lives through art. There is no doubt that Dominic has been able to achieve this through his work with North Shields 800, and hopefully the creative legacy he has helped to facilitate will continue for many years to come.
I Love North Shields (source / publisher site)
North Shields 800 official site
News item about community grants from North Tyneside Council
