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Waygood Gallery, High Bridge Studios, Baltic 39, Stand Comedy Club | Newcastle | 5fl | Completed

32K views 130 replies 27 participants last post by  grewlike topsy 
#1 ·
What are everyone views on the development of the Waygood Gallery on Highh Bridge Street?

The link below gives you are fly through the development :

http://www.waygood.org/redevelopment/index.html

It looks great IMO and will bring new life to High Bridge Street. It is unfortunate that that a soon as something opens on High Bridge- such as the new gift shop near grey Street and the extension of The End something closes- the pub.

Also what about the crap NCC who have messed up the funding for it? And now the Chronic are running stories about how the tax payer will have to pay for it to be finished at the same time money is being taken from schools and hospitals- typical OTT Chronic stories.

I like these cultural developments in the city- espeicially when old buildings are brought back into life- just look at the Baltic and Biscuiot Factory- we seem to be very good at this type of stuff.
 
#30 ·
New hope for troubled art gallery
September 24th 2010, by Amy Hunt, The Journal


NEW hope is on the horizon for studios in a new art gallery with a troubled past.

The High Bridge Studios and Gallery are now occupied and bosses hope a firm will soon be found to run the venture.

It is the first glimpse most people will have had of the much-talked-about venue, which has been 11 years in the planning and building.

Newcastle City Council bought the former Wards print Factory in 1999 and hoped renovating it would give a lift to the image of the street, as well as providing a base for jobbing artists.

But unseen issues pushed up the cost from £3m to £10m and caused delays which eventually ran to five years.

Now the council and artists hope a page has been turned as the building comes into service.

Artists have moved into the 40 studios and the council is now preparing to put out a tender for someone to run the large and bright top-floor gallery and is looking for a tenant for the offices on the first floor. Council chiefs hope the gallery operator will be in place by the start of next year to take the reins in April.

Tony Durcan, the council’s head of culture, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “We’re really pleased it’s finished. We’ve got quality artist space in the heart of the city, which is quite unusual, and the opportunity to provide a real artists’ community in there and when the gallery is open it will be really easy for the public to go in.

“I think it’s a lovely, high-quality building and what we have got to do now is get it really buzzing.”

The cost of the project, previously known as Waygood, rose from an initial price of £4.7m to an estimated £10.5m after a host of problems with the structure of the Wards Building, including corrosion in the columns and the floors.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...led-art-gallery-61634-27332118/#ixzz10Qu7W0oZ
 
#31 · (Edited by Moderator)
Paid a visit in an official capacity to the infamous Waygood Gallery building today, which has despite all the difficulties actually turned out pretty well in the end.

The top floor gallery space is particularly impressive, and it commands an interesting view of a bit of the city most people rarely see - the "interior" of the block bordered by Grey Street and the top of Market Street.

.
 
#32 ·
#33 ·
That sounds like excellent news!

I've always thought that we should be more like Edinburgh in culture.
Perhaps 'borrow' some of their street entertainers!
We're closer to each other than to London!


Edinburgh’s Stand comedy club is to expand its operations, adding a 250-seat venue in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to its existing venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The new premises are at High Bridge Gallery, the old Wards building which was previously run as the the Waygood Gallery.
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/31079/stand-comedy-club-extends-operations-to
 
#38 ·
Correct Steve,

It is a separate commercial project, though occupying the basement of the refurbished 'High Bridge Studios and Gallery' building.

I have got the below notice from the Stand Comedy Club Website . . .
http://thestand.co.uk/newcastle.aspx

Newcastle

Coming Soon!

The Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle will open at the end of this year. Soon we'll start work on building a brand new venue right in the heart of the city. Located in the basement of the new high bridge gallery development the club will run every night of the week.

The Newcastle stand will offer great entertainment for people who want to see live comedy in an intimate relaxed environment - hen and stag parties are not welcome.

Be the first to get the details and an invitation to the opening night. Sign up now!

Another part of the site confirms that actual physical work on the basement will start after Easter.
 
#39 ·
I see the Planning Application is now Pending @ http://planningapplications.newcast...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LNFRFVBS09700

2011/0908/01/LBC | Listed Building Application: Internal and external alterations to ground and basement including removal of walls and partitions, creation of stairs, installation of dumb waiter, formation of kitchen with extraction system venting within internal courtyard, toilets, bar area and comedy club venue area and alterations to courtyard elevations | 31 High Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne
 
#40 ·
What exactly is happening to the opening date for Waygood/High Bridge gallery? This really is taking an age to open. Started by Labour then seven years of LibDems now back to Labour to finally open it? Had a look round on a 'Late Show' evening a while back and it's certainly an interesting building but who is going to run it? Baltic don't seem too keen to take it on.
 
#42 ·
Waygood Gallery

^^

Nice to see comedy club opening to give a bit more life in the area.
Not sure the High Bridge Studios gallery part is ever going to open!
This whole project has been a disaster.
I did get to see inside the gallery at the last 'Late Shows' and it could be impressive when it is open.
 
#43 ·
Troubled Newcastle gallery facing a new wait
by Adrian Pearson, The Journal, August 31st 2011


MORE delays and further costs are set to hit Newcastle's controversial High Bridge Studios, as hopes of seeing Gateshead’s Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art take over the city centre gallery have been put back as lengthy negotiations drag on.

Newcastle council had to step in and pick up the pieces of the failed High Bridge project last year after former provider Waygood was stripped of its role as costs spiraled.

Councillor Greg Stone, shadow culture and leisure spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said that delay aside, the gallery should be a success. “We have been told to expect this to open early next year, and I think that despite the delays we have to look forward to what will be a good move for this site.

“I hear there are other big name organisations looking to get involved and I’m sure the wait will be worthwhile.”


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-...cing-a-new-wait-61634-29333183/#ixzz1WaicpPMb
 
#44 ·
I don't understand what the problem is here, perhaps I am being more dense than usual but I don't get what I am not being told here.
There is a gallery, they have artists in the studios, there is art being churned out all over the place, galleries are popping up like a popping up thing.
Some one spell out whats missing at High Bridge?
 
#51 ·
High Bridge

Duke of Wellie well full tonight with it's beer festival.
Six beers on as normal plus beer festival bar (manned by Lance) with another four ales.
PS Over the lane The Stand comedy club is now open with plenty of people going in.
http://www.thestand.co.uk/Newcastle.aspx

Taxis pulling up and 'Tyneside Blondes' going in.
High Bridge looking a lot more lively as a consequence!!
 
#52 ·
I have changed the suffix of this one to 'completed' now, as it was only the physical work being done on the Stand Comedy Club area of the building that was stopping it from being so, and that is now finished if the club is open!

Hopefully the High Bridge Studios area of the building, will actually be occupied (and open) soon.
 
#53 ·
Excuse the blurry blackberry pic...



Looks very nice, small bar upstairs, coffee too. Simon Donald on tonight. A no stag parties sign is a good addition too. It might make High Bridge even more welcoming. The street is definitely improving - at least going east from the Duke/Stand to Pilgrim St.
 
#54 · (Edited by Moderator)
Superficial change

Todays Journal article by David Whetstone, (07/01/12), http://is.gd/oWE1CQ, reminded me of the letter I had printed back in August 2011 which expressed the concern that by merely changing the name from Waygood Gallery to High Bridge Gallery did not mean that a serious change has taken place with the discredited management of the place.

There are still a couple of people in charge who are simultaneously sitting on both the Baltic board and the Waygood board. It would appear that lessons have not been learnt. No one at Waygood has ever accepted any responsibility for what went wrong with this multi million pound project. Just putting all the blame onto Newcastle City Council is far too simplistic.

 
#56 ·
Waygood Gallery

Todays Journal article by David Whetstone, (07/01/12), http://is.gd/oWE1CQ, reminded me of the letter I had printed back in August 2011 which expressed the concern that by merely changing the name from Waygood Gallery to High Bridge Gallery did not mean that a serious change has taken place with the discredited management of the place.

There are still a couple of people in charge who are simultaneously sitting on both the Baltic board and the Waygood board. It would appear that lessons have not been learnt. No one at Waygood has ever accepted any responsibility for what went wrong with this multi million pound project. Just putting all the blame onto Newcastle City Council is far too simplistic.

Hello Topsy!

Welcome to SSC.

As a council tax payer I (and I'm sure many others) have been perplexed and somewhat angered at the fiasco that has been Waygood/High Bridge.

All we all want to see is the Gallery come to fruition as soon as possible after a decade of delays.

The final bill may never be known.

There are a few heads that should have been knocked together a lot sooner and who knows whether the full story will ever be told.

Will you be able to exhibit in there?

Good to know that Baltic may be taking it over to finally open the facility despite the personality politics.

We just want the flippin' thing finished!!
 
#55 ·
Baltic to take over High Bridge Studios
by David Whetstone, The Journal, January 7th 2012


A big development later this year is likely to see Baltic’s takeover of the gallery at High Bridge Studios in Newcastle, previously run by Waygood.

“Discussions between Baltic and Newcastle City Council are progressing,” says Godfrey. He explains that while – in the council offices – Baltic’s running of the gallery might have seemed an appropriate and convenient solution to the problem of this expensively developed space, it had made sense to him and his team too.

“When we sat down here with the curatorial team and the wider team to look at how it would work, we realised it would give us an opportunity to add value to the Baltic offer in Gateshead by delivering a significantly different kind of programme at High Bridge.”

He says the idea being talked about is Baltic will take responsibility for the gallery while Newcastle City Council looks after studio holders.

Godfrey reckons the arrangement will give opportunity to more artists.


Read More - http://www.journallive.co.uk/cultur...r-prize-exhibit-61634-30074422/#ixzz1inbzFnc8
 
#57 · (Edited by Moderator)
Failures in governance still to be addressed

Hi Adrian,

Thank you for your welcome to skyscrapercity.

Do you know how I can switch on a facility that will notify me when someone adds a comment to this thread?

I don't know anything much about skyscrapercity. It is a massive site.

Does anyone have any tips on how best to navigate around skyscrapercity?

I do have other interests beyond High Bridge that I am prepared to comment on. :)

I am NOT here merely to complain and express grievances against my former employers. :bash:

It is futile to wallow in these murky waters with resentment and serves no wholesome purpose.

Of course I am sure we all agree that the High Bridge Gallery (HBG) does need to hurry up and flippin' open now the money has been spent.

Since the gallery's completion, two years ago, this brand new resource has been kept dark, and has never been used, which everyone agrees, is a sad waste of a valuable cultural resource.

In response to the enquiry about whether I will have opportunity to show my work in the HBG all I know is that currently there is no application process through which anyone can put forward an exhibition proposal on the High Bridge Studios and Gallery website.

http://www.highbridgestudios.co.uk/

There has been no public call for HBG exhibition proposals from Baltic yet.

If Baltic does secures the extra yearly funding it is currently requesting from Newcastle City Council and the Arts Council England, to run the HBG, then the exhibition programme is due to begin in April.

It follows therefore that if Baltic is going to make a call for proposals from local artists to show in the HBG, it will need to explain the process publicly, in the next few weeks.

Once I know what the process is, I may make an application to present my work there, just like anyone else, but I doubt any proposal from me would really be taken seriously.

Finally, I would like to explain, respectfully, why I think the term, "personality politics", does not accurately describe the ongoing concerns relating to the governance of HBG.

Here goes... :wallbash:

As I was familiarising myself with all the content of this really rather comprehensive skyscrapercity thread, I noticed that almost two years ago, (18 February 2010), Cllr Greg Stone posted a copy of a Council Statement.

In that Council Statement, the number one reason given for not moving forward with Waygood as the primary operator of High Bridge Studios and Gallery was because of...

"Waygood’s lack of co-operation in addressing the findings of the recent governance review".

The governance review in question is known as the (Susan) Royce Report.

Even though this was an independent publicly funded external report, only a heavily redacted version was initially made available. Despite the redactions, it could still be seen that there were three options available for Newcastle council regards moving the High Bridge project forward:

Option 1: continue as is
Option 2: to work pro-actively with Waygood to build the organisations capacity
Option 3: to seek other operators via a tender process

The Royce Report went on to say:

Option 1 is the least attractive option; it is more likely than not that Waygood will, if its organisational capacity and make-up remains unchanged, experience a major crisis within the next two years.

Option 2 is the lowest risk option, assuming the funders, (ie the council), have not reached "the point of no return" in their relationship with Waygood...

Option 3 is the most challenging option to contemplate; it would involve the greatest uncertainty, be politically difficult and require substantial investment of time and resources from the funder group.

Obviously Newcastle council wanted to pursue Option 2, but that required that they "work pro-actively with Waygood to build the organisations capacity".

That meant Newcastle council went to the Waygood board and requested that a new chair, "with strong strategic skills," be appointed.

The Waygood board refused to co-operate with the request.

If the Waygood chair had stepped aside at this point, in all likelihood, Waygood would still be the main operator of the High Bridge site.

The whole multi million pound project at High Bridge went into a crisis because the Waygood chair refused to step aside.

So... the question is...

Why is it, two years on, the Waygood chair, who is, and always was, on the Baltic board, will, under this new arrangement, be reinstated to a position of authority over the High Bridge Gallery?

The failures of governance that were identified in the Royce Report back in December 2009, have still not been fully addressed.

This is more a problem of cronyism and a lack of strong leadership than it is of personality politics.




.
 
#59 ·
Hi Adrian,

Thank you for your welcome to skyscrapercity.

Do you know how I can switch on a facility that will notify me when someone adds a comment to this thread?

I don't know anything much about skyscrapercity. It is a massive site.

Does anyone have any tips on how best to navigate around skyscrapercity?

I have replied to you on the 'Admin Thread', one of the Sticky threads at the top of the forum!
 
#58 ·
Very interesting perspective from the 'inside' there... Ive been following this project for a while and obviously as an outsider looking in, have been baffled by the lengthy delays in what should be a crown-jewel development for NCC.

Out of interest, from an artist's point of view, what would be the 'ideal' outcome?
 
#60 · (Edited by Moderator)
Many thanks for fixing the broken link NH.

Before I go any further I'm going to have to confess something to everyone.

I have never seen The Big Lebowski.

Does this mean I'm going to get thrown out of the group?

I promise to watch it asap.

Once I have watched it I'll try and answer the tricky "ideal outcome" question. Until then you'll just have to get along with Tom Moore's letter in today's Journal.



.
 
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