Museums Unite: North East Expands

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) has rebranded as North East Museums and is set to expand its reach into Northumberland. Beginning in April 2025, the organization will take charge of three contrasting Northumberland venues: 

Woodhorn Museum in Ashington - on the former Woodhorn colliery site (home to the renowned Pitmen Painters) and showcasing the region's mining heritage; Hexham Old Gaol and Moot Hall - one of England's oldest prisons  and Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, which celebrates our unique musical heritage.

Against a background of significant reductions in funding for culture from local authorities, museums and cultural venues are seeking new ways of being sustainable, including new partnerships and mergers. The Museums Association says that civic museums face an “existential crisis” with a number of local museums closing or threatened with imminent closure.  This threat is particularly severe for museums that receive a large proportion of their funding from local government where budgets are under significant pressure. 

This new partnership of twelve cultural attractions is a collaborative effort now involving Northumberland County Council with South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead and Newcastle City Councils and Newcastle University. Keith Merrin, Director of North East Museums, expressed enthusiasm about the merger:

“Museums and galleries play an important role in the cultural life of the region and working together we aim to provide a consistent high-quality experience for all our communities and visitors to the region.”

Northumberland County Council believes that this transition will preserve and enhance the cultural assets of the area. The partnership is expected to save costs while expanding opportunities for engagement with the arts and history, enriching the cultural tapestry of Northumberland.