Twi-Lates - events for 12-17 year olds
The Late Shows, supported by The Biscuit Factory, has expanded Twi-Lates following the successful pilot in 2018.Twi-Lates is a programme of events for teenagers and this year fourteen venues are taking part.
Late Shows venues will be opening their doors early (between 4-7pm) on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May to offer a range of activities designed for 12-17year olds, all completely free.
Over 60 venues will take part in the award-winning late-night culture crawl in NewcastleGateshead this year.
Twi-Lates is the only programme of its kind in the North East, bringing together some of the region’s most iconic venues to put on special events for teenagers. Research has shown that 4-7pm is the best time for 12-17 year olds to attend events and that charging for events can be a barrier to visiting – therefore Twi-Lates events are free.
Participating venues include Alphabetti Theatre, Dance City, Space Six, Newcastle Castle, Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle Library, Gateshead Library, Shipley Art Gallery, Seven Stories and the Victoria Tunnel. Events range from big budget film premieres, to pop culture favourites like silent discos, to improvisation games, music workshops, animation and mass participation dancing.
Bill Griffiths, Head of Programmes at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and Project Manager of The Late Shows, said:
“We successfully trialled programming events from 4-7pm for teenagers in 2018 and this year more venues have decided to provide special programmes for this audience. It’s often difficult to get teenagers to engage with cultural venues, so we hope the Twi-Lates programme will encourage them to come and 'taste' what we have to offer.”
Ben Dickenson, Executive Producer City of Dreams, who has teamed up with The Late Shows to create Twi-Lates said:
“Young people in NewcastleGateshead have told us there aren’t enough affordable opportunities to do interesting things at the time of day they’re free. Twi-Lates is changing that by providing free events especially for teenagers, between 4pm and 7pm, alongside the main Late Shows.
“We tested this last year with a very small group of venues and the events were very popular. In 2019 we’ve more than doubled the number of venues involved, and created some cool new things to take part in. Twi-Lates is safe, fun and ideal for 12-17year olds.”
One highlight of Twi-Lates is the offer of free tickets for 15-18 year olds to see the premiere of Mid 90s at Tyneside Cinema. This hotly anticipated directorial debut from popular actor Jonah Hill (Superbad, 21 Jump Street, Maniac), is a tale of skateboarding and youthful rebellion in nineties LA. Last year’s free film offer at Tyneside Cinema was so popular it was booked out in minutes, and extra showings had to be organised.
Andrew Simpson, Director of Programming at Tyneside Cinema said:
“The Tyneside Cinema is a mainstay of Newcastle’s cultural life and is delighted to throw open its doors to young people, whether for screenings, filmmaking opportunities, or our Young Tyneside offer which lets 16-24year olds watch movies for just £4.50. We believe cinema has incredible power to reflect young people’s lives and provide a vital tool for expression.
“Committed as we are to the vision of City of Dreams, we’re delighted to be participating in Twi-Lates, offering the chance to come and see a film for free on the day of the Late Shows. And we can think of no better choice than Mid90s, the first film from A-list star Jonah Hill, which is one of the freshest, most honest, most authentic films about being a teenager we’ve seen in years. Enjoy this one on us.”
Twi-Lates also include a rare chance to take part in a silent disco at Newcastle Central Library, where young people can dance to their hearts out wearing headphones. A unique opportunity for teenagers to show off their music making skills at Newcastle Castle, working with some of the region’s top music producers to use loop pedals, mixing desks and more.
Simon Beckwith, Events Coordinator at Newcastle Castle and popular local comedian said:
“The Castle are so thrilled to be part of Twi-Lates. I think it's critical for the future of Newcastle's cultural scene, that young people are given ways to engage with the arts in an accessible and interesting way. The Twi-Lates programme shows a real passion for understanding how young people actually think and what makes them tick, taking real heart in understanding what's important to teenagers and putting things on in the right time slots and with the right ethos for them. These shows belong to teenagers, it's all theirs and I think there's something really beautiful and invigorating about that.
We're excited for our offering, with a music focus it also cements our role as a nurturer of new cultural talent and home to inventive, creative fun. We're the Castle that gave the city its name, we're ingrained in the history of our city and it's wonderful to see that we're going to play a big role in its truly exciting future.”
Friday 17 May, 4-7pm
Ouseburn:
Seven Stories
Victoria Tunnel
Brinkburn St Brewery, Bar & Kitchen
Saturday 18 May, 4-7pm
Newcastle:
Alphabetti Theatre
Dance City (5-7pm)
Space Six - Commercial Union House
Newcastle Castle
Tyneside Cinema
Hatton Gallery
Newcastle Library
Gateshead:
Cotfield Mirrors at St Cuthbert's Church
Gateshead Library
Shipley Art Gallery
Twi-Lates supports City of Dreams, a 10 year strategy to held all under 25s in Tyneside engage with arts and culture.
