Pinwheel

Creative producers of spectacular, large-scale outdoor arts & cultural events, transforming ordinary places into extraordinary experiences ✨

14/09/2026

A look back at Letters in a Bottle 🌊

This time last year, young people at Bostey Walker in Newcastle’s East End worked with musician Bridie Jackson and AnimatorSheryl to create Letters in a Bottle as part of From Our Streets to Our Seas, led by Tyneside Cinema and produced in partnership with Pinwheel.

The film has since screened at children’s film festivals in Australia, Ireland and Croatia.

“I absolutely adored this project – please do more.” — Young person

🎥 Watch the teaser, then watch Letters in a Bottle in full and find out more about the project - link in the first comment.

10/08/2026

Backing Boro. Backing culture. Backing the bid. 💚

Today, We are Middlesbrough submits its bid to become UK City of Culture 2029 – and we’re proud to be supporting it.

Pinwheel Director Katy Fuller has been working with the bid as Programme Curator, bringing her experience from helping shape Hull’s journey as UK City of Culture 2017 and her work since then devising, developing and delivering ambitious cultural programmes across the UK.

Middlesbrough already has an incredible cultural story to tell – rooted in its people, its creativity, its resilience and its ambition for the future. This bid is an opportunity to put that story centre stage and show what culture can do for a place and its people.

We’re delighted to be part of the team helping Middlesbrough imagine what comes next.

Come on, Boro. We’re behind you. 💚

05/08/2026

🌟 Two years ago Where to Begin asked audiences to join us in summoning up Edinburgh’s festival spirit.

Created by Pinwheel as the 2024 Opening Event for Edinburgh International Festival, this ambitious outdoor spectacular transformed an iconic Edinburgh setting into a place of myth, music, and shared ritual.

Through immersive installation, projection, performance, and storytelling, thousands of people gathered beneath the Castle to help unleash the creative energy of the festival season.

As Edinburgh International Festival 2026 approaches, we’re proud to revisit a project that brought together incredible artists, collaborators, and audiences, and uncovered the creative power that is unleashed across the city each year.

Here’s to the next chapter. ✨

📸 Jess Shurte & Andy Murrell

29/07/2026

✨ Spotlight On: Simon Sharkey ✨

We're delighted to kick off our new Spotlight On series by celebrating long-time collaborator Simon Sharkey.

A visionary creative leader, director and storyteller, Simon is renowned for creating large-scale participatory arts experiences that bring people and communities together. From his pioneering work as a founding director of National Theatre of Scotland to his global projects through The Necessary Space, Simon has spent his career creating extraordinary opportunities for connection and creativity.

We've had the pleasure of working with Simon on a number of projects over the years, most recently Where to Begin, the Rugby League World Cup Cultural Festival, and The Story-Weaver as part of North of the Tyne, Under the Stars.

We're proud to call Simon a collaborator and look forward to the stories we'll tell together in the future.

📸 The Necessary Space

21/07/2026

🎭 Exploring the future of outdoor arts practice 🎭

We’re delighted that our Director, Katy Fuller, has been invited by Articulation to share her insights at 'MULTIFACETED: Exploring the evolution of multidisciplinary outdoor arts practice' in Glasgow on Friday 24 July.

Katy will open the conversation by sharing reflections from her experience delivering large-scale outdoor and site-specific arts projects, festivals and cultural events, before joining a wider panel discussion exploring how multidisciplinary approaches are shaping the future of outdoor arts.

Bringing together artists, producers, festival directors and cultural organisations, MULTIFACETED will explore the creativity, collaboration and innovation driving the sector forward.

We’re looking forward to being part of this important conversation and sharing insights from our work across the cultural landscape.

📸 Panel discussion at Articulation’s Summer Gathering 2025. Image credit: Eoin Carey.

09/07/2026

🚩 This Saturday, the Durham Miners' Gala returns! 🚩

We're proud to be supporting the production of this year's Gala, with Pinwheel’s Project Manager, Allie Young, working alongside Event Manager DAT Events and the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala to help deliver this iconic event.

One of the world's biggest celebrations of community, solidarity and working-class culture, the Gala continues to evolve in 2026 with the introduction of Redhills Village - a new space produced by Building Culture in partnership with Redhills Durham Miners Hall.

Bringing together arts, culture, heritage and science around the theme, The Past We Inherit, The Future We Build, Redhills Village invites visitors to celebrate the Gala’s rich traditions while looking ahead to the future.

If you're heading along on 11 July, be sure to explore everything the Gala has to offer.

📸 Friends of Durham Miners' Gala

02/07/2026

🚴 One year to go! 🚴

Today marks just one year until the Tour de France Grand Départ 2027 begins in Edinburgh.

We’re delighted to be working with the Grand Départ GB 2027 team on an exciting Culture & Heritage Programme, celebrating the remarkable places and people along the route.

The Grand Départ GB 2027 will feature an unprecedented British trilogy, with the world’s greatest cycling race setting off in Scotland before travelling through England and Wales.

The opening stages will showcase some of the most spectacular landscapes across Great Britain, as the 114th Tour de France and 6th Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift get underway.

This year we’ve been busy behind the scenes shaping a programme full of spectacular moments, connecting communities across all three nations, and creating opportunities to share and celebrate local heritage.

We can’t wait to tell you more in the months ahead.

Find out more about the race at www.letourgb.com

📸 Photo credit: ASO & Charly López

28/01/2026

✨ Solace Shines in Aberdeen! ✨

We’re thrilled to be producing Solace by Amelia Kosminsky for Spectra Festival 2026, Scotland’s Festival of Light!

Originally commissioned for Artichoke’s final Lumiere in 2025, it’s a joy to work with Amelia again and bring her lantern installation to Aberdeen Art Gallery. Solace is a suspended constellation of hand-made lanterns, offering a moment of reflection and comfort - a flicker of light in turbulent times. 🌙

From 5–8 February, Aberdeen will glow with free light installations across Marischal College, Union Terrace Gardens, and more. This new presentation of Solace is produced by Pinwheel, installed by Open Format, and features a meditative soundtrack by Jon Hopkins.

See it in person and experience the magic for yourself!

👉 Learn more: www.spectrafestival.com
📸 Matthew Andrews

Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums

18/12/2025

What a year. ✨

As the year draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on a chapter that has meant a great deal to us. This year we celebrated something truly special, working in the place we call home. From Durham to Newcastle to North Shields, our North East roots have shaped some of our most meaningful work to date - alongside a diverse range of creative projects, commissions, and collaborations.

Among this year’s many highlights:

🌟 Lumiere Durham - Producing the final edition of this iconic festival was a huge privilege. For our Director, Katy Fuller, it marked a powerful full-circle moment, from being Artichoke’s first employee over 20 years ago to returning to collaborate as Lead Producer for this landmark finale.

🌊 From Our Streets to Our Seas - A vibrant, community-driven project delivered on behalf of Tyneside Cinema, that unfolded across Newcastle and our own patch in North Shields, celebrating creativity, collaboration, and the voices of local people.

Alongside these moments, we’ve been lucky to work with extraordinary artists, partners, creatives, and audiences across a broad span of projects - each one contributing to a rich, inspiring, and wide-ranging year.

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re filled with excitement. New ideas are taking flight, new collaborations are forming, and we can’t wait to share the imaginative journeys to come.

Here’s to more curiosity, creativity and adventure - in the North East and beyond. 💫

📸 Lumiere photography by Matthew Andrews
📸 From Our Streets to Our Seas photography by Richard Lister Photography

19/11/2025

✨ What an unforgettable Lumiere!

What an amazing few days in Durham. As lead producer, Pinwheel is so proud to have helped fill the city with light, colour and unforgettable experiences - from glowing riverside artworks to breathtaking cathedral installations.

Now it’s over to you…
💬 Which artwork was your favourite?
Share your highlights or photos in the comments - we love seeing Lumiere through your eyes.

Lumiere is produced by Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council, with support from Arts Council England, the North East Combined Authority, Durham University, Point North, and a raft of funders and supporters.

📷 Matthew Andrews

Address

North Shields
Newcastle Upon Tyne

Website

https://www.pinwheel.org.uk/

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