The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is a wonderful art gallery on the Quayside with four floors of incredible exhibitions, covering a diverse range of artistic mediums and topics. Among the artists whose works are currently on display are Mani Kambo, Franki Raffles, and Hannah Perry. Additionally, there is a library housing a collection of over 13,000 books on contemporary art and visual culture, which is free to visit whenever it is open between Wednesday and Sunday. As an avid fan of The Baltic, I can recommend a walk down the Quayside Market on Sunday while making your way there.
Originally purpose built as a natural history museum in 1884, this museum offers a variety of exhibitions for visitors to peruse free of charge. Within this museum, there is The Living Planet Gallery, The Hadrian’s Wall Gallery, The Mouse House, Fossil Stories, along with historical artefacts surrounding the Ancient Egyptians, Greek and Etruscan art and archaeology, Natural Northumbria, and World Cultures. This museum provides an incredibly interesting and informative historical experience, spanning a wide variety of time periods and cultures, including a focus on the North East. Another benefit is that this Museum is right next to campus, so if you have a bit of time between lectures, why not give it a visit?
Founded in 1793, the Lit & Phil is a public library housing a list of books on a wide variety of topics and is an absolute must visit for a cold winter’s day. While you must be a member of the library to take books home with you, you are more than welcome to pick up a book and have a read in this picturesque building. In addition to this, it is an excellent study space if you fancy a change of scenery but have assignments due. As well as the books on offer, the Lit and Phil hosts a wide range of public events, many of which are free, that you can find out about on their website.