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peep walk-through the latest photographic gallery exhibition at Newcastle contemporary Art. The show is called ‘Under Development’ What happens when cities change.  When you look at the landscape of North East culture, you can’t ignore the devastating impact of institutional funding cuts—most notably Arts Council England stripping National Portfolio funding from Side Gallery. Founded by the Amber Collective back in 1977, Side Gallery spent nearly five decades as a fortress for radical, humanist documentary photography dedicated almost entirely to working-class life. 

The moment state funding bodies choked off that financial support, it forced their Quayside venue to shut its doors. It exposes a systemic flaw in how our culture is managed: far too many galleries, community archives, and creative spaces have become completely reliant on public grants and institutional hand-outs to keep the lights on. The second those state funding decisions shift, decades of grassroots community heritage get placed on the chopping block.

We also profile the photographic work of Jimmy Forsyth and explain he came to Newcastle west end looking for work as a fitter in the steel works of Newcastle upon Tyne. peep also profile the photographic work Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and her dedication to the byker area od the east end of Newcastle. 

And lastly, I discuss the ambitions of T-Dan Smith and his dream of building a new Newcastle upon Tyne. 

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