Newcastle’s vibrant art scene is set to burst into life with ELEMENTS, the city’s first free street art festival, taking place on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August at Woods Pottery, off Stepney Bank in Ouseburn.
ELEMENTS is spearheaded by a team consisting of North Tyneside mural and graffiti artist Mark Shields who brings over 20 years of experience combining graffiti techniques with design and illustration. Mark who creates under the name Mark One87 is joined by Building Culture CIC, a not-for-profit arts organisation, and Project North East (PNE), a social enterprise dedicated to fostering positive change through enterprise.
Around 20 established North East artists, including Mul, Bobzilla, Mr Zee, Cack Handed Kid, Creative Ginger, Sune, Micro79, Prefab 77, and Mark One87, will transform the Woods Pottery site into a vibrant public gallery with 14 large-scale murals.
ELEMENTS will feature participatory art sessions, giving the public hands-on experience in creating street art, workshops, live demonstrations, and community outreach projects which will engage residents from Byker, Shieldfield, and Battlefield. In addition, a market place for local artists will be created to sell their work, fostering a supportive environment for creatives and providing visitors the opportunity to purchase unique pieces.
“We are aiming to transform a small piece of land in the Ouseburn into an area of creativity and vibrancy,” said Mark. “We will have live music with a dynamic mix of hip hop, funk, and soul from local DJs, complemented by delicious food from street vendors and of course some of the most current and innovative art work too.”
The festival is very much a community collaborative event with new and existing partnerships ensuring the sustainability of the event for future years. As well as the three main organising partners, other organisations include Chilli Studios, Byker Community Trust, Foundation Futures, Wild Roots Community Garden, and Shieldfield Youth Programme.
Tracey Moore, Director of PNE, emphasised the festival’s commitment to community engagement: “This event will not only be a spectacular display of creativity but also provide a fantastic backdrop for other activities in Ouseburn. The impact will be felt throughout the year, establishing a new cultural destination for Newcastle.”
“Local residents, visitors, and businesses will benefit from a vibrant infusion of public artwork and our collective effort will foster community spirit, pride, and ownership, encouraging people to celebrate the places where they live, work, and play. The Ouseburn is such a unique area, and we want people to visit and celebrate the great creative talent we have here in Newcastle,” said Mark.