The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has announced three partnerships with leading artists which will create new music and also help forge closer connections with audiences over the next three years.
The Gateshead music hub this Wednesday reveals it will be forging closer links with local folk favourites The Unthanks; Polish violinist Maria Włoszczowska and R’n’B, soul and pop singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae; helping them create new work and opening up opportunities for others to be involved in the process of making music. The move is a another new step by The Glasshouse towards embracing its ambitious vision for the future as it prepares to celebrate a big anniversary year.
And the announcement comes just days after other good news. In October, The Glasshouse revealed it has teamed up with local music development agency Generator on plans to establish a Newcastle-Gateshead ‘music city’ – backed by the likes of North Shields star Sam Fender – which aims to attract investment and create thousands of jobs and then came news it has received a £2m grant to boost its work with young people.
As it fast approaches its 20th birthday in December, it has sights very much set on what is to come and it has also launched a major 2025 fundraising campaign to drive its future ambitions. It says its three new artistic partners will be working with the venue and in-house orchestra Royal Northern Sinfonia over a three-year period, reflecting ‘its reputation as one of the great places where artists and music fans meet’.
All the partnerships will involve new music, inspiring young people and collaborations with musicians who already work at and visit the venue. Its creative director Wendy Smith said: “This is a wonderful chance to put artists’ ideas and voices at the centre of what audiences experience at The Glasshouse.
“Music venues are unique as places for artists to meet their audiences and have that two-way dialogue about what they’re creating. It’s an opportunity for these brilliant artists to deepen their relationships with North East music fans and to create new work made in the region.”
The Unthanks’ partnership has already begun, with the band’s creation of the soundtrack for Fenwick’s newly-unveiled Christmas Window and its theme of The Twelve Days Of Christmas. Wendy added: “Over these three years Maria, Corinne and The Unthanks will bring their creativity and experience to live performances, music education, and collaboration with other artists.
“It’s a unique opportunity for three extraordinary artists to challenge and change what a music venue can be and how we connect with music fans.” The Unthanks see the new partnership as “a brilliant learning experience”.
The band, who celebrate their own 20th birthday this year and have become renowned over the years for their take on traditional folk music – winning the likes of a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for best album along the way, say it will help them continue to develop as musicians and discover and help other North East musicians.
Put Your Records On star Corinne Bailey Rae said: “I’m really excited about this partnership with The Glasshouse because it’s a step into the unknown.” The Grammy-winner, whose album Black Rainbows – inspired by Black stories – was nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize, is already passionate about music education and supporting young people and she will be involved in new projects and collaborations.
She said: “Three years is a long time: it gives me a real opportunity to dream and scheme and do something that I haven’t done before. There’s a lot of time and space here; it’s a place I can let my imagination run wild, which is very exciting.”
Maria Włoszczowska, who is also director and leader of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, is similarly excited to be an artistic partner and The Glasshouse says it will see her ‘continue to establish her musical home in the North East’. She will be working with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and alongside principal conductor Dinis Sousa on new ideas for the orchestra and collaborations with international artists.
The violinist calls this “an incredible opportunity for me” and added: “Chamber music is the greatest love of my life. I’m always happy to involve more of it in everything that I do.
“It also offers an opportunity to involve the musicians from the orchestra in a more personal, individual way.” Her role too is already under way, with a series of concerts which she is leading as director.
The Unthanks are set to perform again at the venue soon, with an In Winter show taking on December 3 to celebrate different traditional music of the season. Ahead of that their In Winter album will be coming out on November 29.
