Glass Centre gallery to move into new art hub
University of SunderlandAn art gallery will move into a £27m culture hub when it opens later this year.
The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA), which is currently housed in Sunderland's National Glass Centre and run by the University of Sunderland, will relocate to the Culture House in the city centre.
The National Glass Centre is due to close in July after the university claimed building repairs would cost between £14m and £45m, which it said it could not afford.
Culture House will also house a library, podcasting studios, an events venue and a sky garden when it opens.
The site had been due to open in autumn 2025 but Sunderland City Council pushed it back in November to "the first half of 2026".
The University of Sunderland's deputy vice chancellor of operations Andrea Walters said NGCA's move to the Culture House would ensure the university remained "central" to the city's "ambitious cultural landscape".
Prof Kevin Petrie, the university's strategic lead for creative practice research, said the team planned to bring a "diverse range of visual art" to the gallery's programme.
He also said they planned to use the space to teach students and get them experience working with curators and artists.
Labour councillor Beth Jones said Culture House was set to become a "real focal point" for Sunderland residents and visitors, bringing international artists and increasing footfall in the city.