The NOVUM Festival returns to Newcastle City Centre from the 7th to the 9th of the month. A mix of street art, theatre, workshops and exhibitions, there is something at NOVUM to appeal to everyone of any interest. You may be wandering around the city centre and stumble across Kamchàtka, a group of eccentric strangers with suitcases exploring the city and involving the public in their performances, or Block, a spellbinding piece of street theatre where performers build a city using massive Jenga-style pieces.
There’s a variety of both free and ticketed events over the weekend. Newcastle-based singer-songwriter Melanie Baker is performing at Newcastle Contemporary Art Gallery on the Friday night, with tickets costing just £15, and Tyneside Cinema are hosting a special screening of the recent Oscar winner The Brutalist on the Sunday. There’ll be gorgeous art installations scattered about the city, but perhaps the biggest one of all is on Sunday afternoon. A line of larger-than-life dominoes will be assembled gradually around the city centre by hundreds of volunteers, and they’ll be knocked down at 4.30, with a good view of the chain reaction no matter where you are.
There’s so much to enjoy at NOVUM, and that’s not the only thing happening in August. If you’re not back up in Newcastle until towards the end of the month, fear not as you won’t miss out on the Newcastle Mela. Taking place on the 30th and 31st, this celebration of South Asian culture will have something on for everyone. Live music and performance is a main part of the Mela experience, with both traditional and contemporary styles on display, and so are stalls selling everything from clothing and jewellery to specialist gifts. And fitting with the South Asian theme, there’ll be a variety of food stalls and vendors selling a variety of food to suit anyone’s taste buds. The programme for the festival isn’t available yet but, based on the success of previous Melas, this year’s edition is bound to be a great one.
NOVUM and the Mela are the big ones, but they’re still so much to enjoy. From screenings of old films at Tyneside Cinema and the Star & Shadow, to exhibitions at the Laing Art Gallery chronicling the history of portraiture, and a display of archaeological treasures at the Great North Museum, there is more than enough to tide you over until uni kicks off again in September. Newcastle is truly a fantastic place to be and, with all this amazing culture on our doorstep, why not immerse yourself?