17 March 2026
New home announced for the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) in the heart of the city
The new Culture House in Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is preparing to open a dynamic new space within Culture House Sunderland – a flexible, creative hub that will firmly embed the University at the heart of the city’s cultural life.
As well as becoming the new home for the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA), the space will provide a prominent public platform for students and staff to exhibit work, collaborate, and showcase the breadth of the University’s artistic talent.
Based on the second floor of the Keel Square building, the space aims to strengthen links between education, creativity, and the city’s cultural life.
The University has been working with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland City Council to ensure the space is an inspiring and accessible gallery, where visitors from across the city, region, and beyond can enjoy creative works from a variety of artists.
Professor Kevin Petrie, Strategic Lead for the Centre for Creative Practice Research, School of Media and Creative Industries, said: “We are working to bring a diverse range of visual art into the NGCA programme. My colleagues in our subjects such as Fine Art and Photography, Video and Digital Imaging will also use the new gallery space in teaching sessions and students will have the chance to work alongside the exhibition curator, and in many cases the artists themselves, to learn first-hand about careers and professional practice in visual arts.
“Over the next two years we plan a range of exhibitions of professional artists, academic creative work and student projects. This new space will highlight how creativity can challenge, inspire, communicate - and delight.”
Andrea Walters, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Operations at the University of Sunderland, said: “By opening this space in Culture House, the University aims to remain central to Sunderland’s ambitious cultural landscape, while also providing enhanced opportunities for students to learn, exhibit, and collaborate in a professional public setting.”
Sunderland Culture today welcomed the move – and the new home – for the NGCA.
Nick Malyan, CEO of Sunderland Culture, said: “NGCA is the longest-established contemporary art gallery in the North East of England. For more than half a century, it has brought nationally and internationally significant artists to Sunderland while championing regional and emerging talent.
“A consistent and positive force in the region’s arts ecology, its next chapter at Culture House will connect high-quality contemporary art with an even wider audience.”
Cllr Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council said: “Culture House is set to become a real focal point for Sunderland residents and visitors to the city when it opens its doors later this year, and we want to deliver a space that inspires people, with fantastic exhibitions, galleries and interactive digital activity that will stand up on a national and even international stage.
“This will be a place to think, explore and connect at the heart of the city, and having international artists share their work here will bring more footfall into the city centre, delivering a big boost to surrounding leisure, retail and hospitality businesses.”