Novum Festival Newcastle: Newcastle City Council unveil plans for new city centre summer culture festival

Plans for Novum, a new summer festival in the heart of Newcastle, was announced by Newcastle City Council this week in the Civic Centre’s Council chamber.

The festival, which will run over three days from Friday, August 11 until Sunday, August 13 will see local and international talent including a cardboard based community artwork from French artist Olivier Grossetête which will be built as part of the cultural takeover of the city centre over the weekend.

The artwork will be built in stages by local residents throughout the days prior to the weekend before being completed on the first day of the festival. It will then be torn down on the final day as a ceremonial ending to the festival.

A design for the artwork is yet to be announced although organisers have promised it will pay homage to the architecture of the city. Opportunities to build parts of the structure are now available from the Novum Festival website.

The team behind the project include Curated Place, a team which has provided similar experiences across the world. Organisers have also worked with cultural groups from across the city to offer a huge range of events ranging from family events to late night afterparties with groups such as the Sage in Gateshead, Northern Stage, World Headquarters, the Tyne and Wear Archives and more. Live music will come from Hannabiell & Midnight Blue Collective, Iceland’s most exciting new performer Gugusar and DJ Lou Hayter.

“This city is a cultural powerhouse” said Lesley Storey, Cabinet Member for a Vibrant City at Newcastle City Council.

"The council wants to demonstrate its commitment to culture, by reinvigorating festivals in the city.”

All the events will be scheduled around Newcastle’s Civic Centre as a way to open the site up to the city, with the Council chamber expected to host a handful of events across the weekend.

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