The Hexagon Experiment

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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The Hexagon Experiment

Sage Gateshead, Newcastle
3 August-6 September 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Hexagon Experiment
Image courtesy of Brighter Sound
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The Great Exhibition of the North is a cultural spectacular whose aim is to celebrate artistic and scientific innovation in the Northern part of the country. Running for 80 days and drawing in a projected 3 million visitors, it’s the largest event taking place in England in 2018. Now a month into the programme, the festival, whose centre is Newcastle and Gateshead, is proving a huge success. Live performances, new artworks, exhibits and unforgettable experiences are shining across the north, in a proud display of the region’s pioneering spirit.

Brighter Sound, a creative music charity based in Manchester, is one organisation involved in the festival. It is renowned in the North West and beyond for running a diverse array of projects and training opportunities which encourage young and emerging musicians to express themselves through music. For the Great Exhibition of the North, Brighter Sound presents The Hexagon Experiment, a six-part series of ‘Friday night experiments’ bringing together pioneering women at the forefront of music, art and science.

Featuring unique performances, commissions and conversations, the series is part of Brighter Sound’s Both Sides Now initiative, which supports, inspires and showcases women in music – from the boardroom, to the classroom, to the stage. The focus of the events will be twofold. Firstly, they will bring together an exciting selection of innovative musicians, artists and scientists, encouraging the cross-pollination of ideas. Secondly, they will offer a space in which to discuss gender equality within the innovators’ respective fields.

Where to go near The Hexagon Experiment

Trakol
Newcastle
Restaurant
Trakol

On the Gateshead quayside, underneath the Tyne bridge is one of the best locations to go for a meal in Newcastle and Gateshead. In what was once derelict land on the quayside, now exists a fantastic shipping container village of purposely rusted shipping containers.

Quayside
Newcastle
Tourist Attraction
Quayside

The Quayside of Newcastle (and its sister town of Gateshead) is a hugely popular location in the city, featuring seven bridges spanning the impressive river, linking Newcastle to Gateshead and providing

Live Theatre
Newcastle
Theatre
Live Theatre

The Live Theatre has a fantastic reputation for developing, writing and producing new plays and shows every year. The Live Theatre started in 1973. It was at first a traveling theatre company, which started by telling stories that were relatable to daily life in the North East of England and presented these plays to local people – which it has continued to do to this day.

CBK Adventures
Newcastle
Tourist Attraction
CBK Adventures

CBK Adventures deliver award-winning coastal activities including guided tours and lessons in kayaking and paddle boarding.

The Side Gallery
Newcastle
Gallery
The Side Gallery

The Side Gallery can be found on a small medieval street down by Newcastle’s Quayside. The Gallery itself is inside of an old warehouse, which by itself is a fantastic building to explore. Once you have entered the gallery, you are walking into one of the most important collections of film and photography in the British Isles.

Newcastle Castle
Newcastle
Tourist Attraction
Newcastle Castle

Discover the castle that gave Newcastle its name, taking in a 12th-century fortress that has been added to over the centuries.

St. Nicholas Cathedral
Newcastle
Place of worship
St Nicholas Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas is the Church of England Cathedral of Newcastle. There has been a church on the site since 1090 AD, but the church that stands there today is mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries making most of the building nearly seven hundred years old!

ZENB

Delivering UK-wide, ZENB supplies carefully crafted delicious all-vegan pasta, with a variety of exciting sauces.

Pizza Punks
Newcastle
Restaurant
Pizza Punks

Pizza joint in Newcastle, also offering make-at-home pizza kits during lockdown.

Laing Art Gallery
Newcastle
Gallery
Laing Art Gallery

The Laing Art Gallery’s collection of classic and historical art highlights many of the successful artists who have come from the North East over the years.

The Literary and Philosophical Society
Newcastle
Library
The Literary and Philosophical Society

A stone’s throw from Newcastle’s Central Station, and around the corner from Newcastle’s Castle, is The Lit and Phil. Only a few years younger than Manchester’s, The Lit and Phil is the second oldest literary and philosophical society in the United Kingdom.

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