£27m culture hub sets sights beyond city

Leanne Littlewood, in a black suit and black and white geometrical shirt, smiles at the camera at Keel Square. She is standing near to where Culture House will be. A poster in the background reads Culture House Coming Soon.
Director Leanne Littlewood said she wanted to promote curiosity and ambition through Culture House [Culture House Sunderland]

A city's £27m culture hub, due to open in the autumn, is aiming to attract people from all over north-east England.

Culture House in Keel Square, Sunderland, will be home to the city's library, an immersion gallery, podcasting studios, events venue and a sky garden.

Director Leanne Littlewood said she hoped facilities and events at the site would appeal across the region and help raise the city's profile internationally.

"We want to bring people from all over the place, so the economic impact will be massive too," she said.

An artist impression of the immersion gallery. An image is projected across the walls in the room. There is seating space in the middle.
The immersion gallery can adapt to host other events [Culture House Sunderland]

The hub will be free to access, with some areas available to hire.

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Ms Littlewood said: "We are going to bring curiosity and ambition and opportunity to the city, as well as hopefully footfall from all across the region."

An artist impression of the rooftop garden. There are chairs and benches and a cherry tree in the middle.
The rooftop garden could also hold stargazing events [Culture House Sunderland]

Culture House will have a free children's space, a green screen studio and several galleries.

There are also plans to hold stargazing events on its rooftop garden.

Classes and workshops will take place, while its immersion gallery can host theatre performances and escape rooms.

Ms Littlewood said the space's versatility would allow it to be "lots of different things to lots of different people".

The building site of the multi-storey Culture House, covered in scaffolding. Two workers in helmets and high visibility clothing are walking on the structure.
Culture House is set to open in the autumn [BBC]

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