With such a vast array of museums, art galleries and theatres to choose from, you’re never short of options when looking for a spot of art and culture in North East England. A significant amount of our contemporary architecture is award-winning, for example BALTIC: Centre for Contemporary Art, The Sage Gateshead and mima in Middlesbrough, and fine examples of classical architecture abound on Newcastle’s Grey Street, in Darlington city centre, the many castles throughout the area and in many of the region’s art galleries, museums and other public buildings.

Britain’s largest and most impressive sculpture, Gateshead’s Angel of the North, weighs in at 208 tonnes and has a wingspan of 54m. Recently voted one of the eight Wonders of Britain, it is also one of the most viewed pieces of public art in the world, seen by more than one person every second. A short drive away, Sunderland’s National Glass Centre stocks a huge range of work by some of Britain and Europe’s finest contemporary glassmakers, whilst nearby the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens features 1,500 of the world’s most exotic plants and trees.

One can add to that list The Bowes Museum, the superb French-chateau style, 19^th century treasure house in the Durham Dales, purpose-built by its founders John and Josephine Bowes to hold outstanding collections of art, ceramics, furniture and textiles.

Throughout the region theatres dazzle with comedy, dance and musicals, hot new drama and the Royal Shakespeare Company season at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal. Sunderland’s Empire Theatre, resplendent in its Victorian grandeur, pulls in big crowds with its programme of major West End hits and one-off shows – book early to secure the best seats in the house!