A group of local entrepreneurs have launched an exciting new cultural space in the heart of South Shields, transforming a historic building into a hub for creativity, performance and community events.
Ignition at The Venue, on Stanhope Street, is the brainchild of Tyne and Wear Creative Culture CIC, a newly formed non-profit founded by Jill Butler, Samantha Pritchard, and Claire Harland, alongside experienced hospitality operator Paul Neary.
Housed in the former Tinkersmiths and Boilershop buildings, the venue aims to give artists, musicians, comedians and performers a platform to develop and showcase their work.
The building, formerly the Royal Assembly Halls, an 18th-century music hall turned picture house and popular nightclub, has been reborn as a flexible venue hosting a diverse cultural programme.
Central to the venue is ‘The Loft’, a small-stage performance and workshop space that community groups, charities, and CICs can use free of charge. Larger areas accommodate live music, theatre, comedy, markets, and more.
A key focus is on giving opportunities to young and emerging talent, from musicians and comedians to visual artists, sound engineers and set designers.
Rather than outsourcing work to large commercial companies, the team is collaborating with students from Newcastle University and local creatives to design and help operate the venue.
The aim is to create a platform where people can develop their skills, gain experience and showcase their work in a professional setting.
Jill, one of the directors of the Tyne and Wear Creative Culture CIC explains:
“We wanted to create a space that gives artists and performers a platform while bringing something different to South Shields.
“This isn’t just a venue, it’s a community project where creativity and opportunity go hand in hand.
“The town used to be really lively, and we’d love to see that again. This building has so much history, and we want to protect that while opening the doors to a whole new generation of performers.”
Plans include a 1,000-capacity live venue, an Everyman-style cinema, and a dedicated music hub to host community programmes likeLearn Play Perform, offering free workshops and opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Paul Neary, one of the venue’s owners adds:
“We’re determined to make this a place where new talent can thrive. From students learning sound engineering to young musicians getting their first gig, it’s about nurturing creativity and giving people a stage, whatever their experience level.
“We’re not here to compete with other venues, we’re here to add something different. It’s about variety, diversity and making sure everyone, from grassroots artists to established acts, has a place to perform in South Shields.”
The venue will also be welcoming local community initiatives such as Felt Nowt CIC, a comedy club teaching young people skills in comedy and the arts. The CIC plans to host fortnightly shows featuring new and upcoming comedians and much more. Events will be ticketed affordably, with proceeds supporting local charities and community initiatives.
The venue held its soft opening on 9th August with an evening featuring Newcastle United and England legend, Peter Beardsley, and have already received support from brands such as BrewDog, Budweiser and Schweppes, which have contributed funding and resources to help the community venue thrive.
With work recently commencing on a multi-million-pound regeneration project to relocate South Tyneside College into the heart of South Shields town centre,Cllr Margaret Meling, lead member for economic growth and transport at South Tyneside Council, welcomed the timely investment:
“Increasing footfall to the town centre has always been central to our plans. We want to create a vibrant, attractive and sustainable town where people can live, work, study and socialise, and this project really complements that vision.
“This project has so many positives – from bringing buildings back into use to enhancing the town’s leisure offer, creating space for performers to learn their craft while delivering jobs – I can’t wait to see it come to fruition and watch as it thrives and inspires others.
“Amazing things can happen when community-minded people come together and what has been achieved by Tyne and Wear Creative Culture CIC is quite phenomenal.”
Tyne and Wear Creative Culture CIC are signatories of the South Tyneside Pledge.
You can follow Ignition at the Venue on Facebook or Instagram.
