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An exhibition of Northern Typography is currently on show beneath the iconic dome of Whitley Bay’s Spanish City. The complex – once a funfair – is home to For the Love of the North, among other independent businesses, which has pulled some of the most talented artists and creatives in the region together for its…

Spring is a time for new beginnings. So, I’m taking some time out from the usual hustle and bustle of running a creative business to make some plans for the future. Creative Calligraphy is heading towards its eighth birthday on May 27, 2022. According to business data platform Statista, 42.5% of businesses established in 2014…

A note scribbled by an orphaned boy in church almost 125 years ago has inspired a letter writing project in Sunderland. Dear Friend has been launched by Seventeen Nineteen at Holy Trinity Church in Hendon, in collaboration with calligrapher Jules Eachus, from The Inkling Studio in the city. The church recently underwent a £5m refurbishment…

Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) has announced further details of the highly anticipated return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the north east this year. Tickets are now on sale for the landmark exhibition at Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, which celebrates the most spectacular surviving manuscript from early medieval Britain. As well as…

It’s been a bit of a year to review, to say the least! We started 2021 in lockdown and it seems rules and restrictions will be with us for a while yet as we continue to navigate Covid-19. Despite the devastating impact the pandemic has had on businesses of all shapes and sizes, I have…

Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of being paired up with Joanne Taylor as part of The European Pointed Pen Collective (EPPC) ‘calligrabuddy’ scheme. We’ve exchanged envelopes on a monthly basis, with my contributions talking inspiration from a lucky dip of vintage first class stamps I bought on Etsy from Piece of the…

Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) has unveiled its first programme of events celebrating the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the region in 2022. The Lindisfarne Gospels will be on display at Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery from September 17 to December 3, on loan from the British Library. This will be the first time the ancient book,…

The Cultural Spring has been granted £1m to extend its award-winning work by three more years. As an artist that has benefited greatly from the project, having been involved since 2015, I’m delighted by this news and couldn’t be happier for the team. The project has been increasing the number of people taking part in…

As we move into autumn, I’m entering the sixth year of my involvement with The Cultural Spring. The project has been connecting people in Sunderland and South Tyneside with the arts since 2014 and not even a global pandemic has been able to stop its amazing work. Its latest programme – dubbed #CreativeAutumn – sees…

Manuscript Pen Company has launched this year’s World Calligraphy Day with the aim of spreading joy and positivity after a tough 18 months. The brand is hoping to encourage people to put pen to paper and share their love of words with others on Wednesday, August 11, 2021. Founded by Manuscript Pen Company in 2017,…