Exhibitions. Live Music. Live Entertainment. Special Events.
WEEKLY & MONTHLY EVENTS
Across The Black Swan Bar & Venue, and our Art Courses, there’s activity for everyone to get involved in every week at Newcastle Arts Centre
Jazz Cafe Presents… At The Black Swan:
Tuesday Jazz Jam
Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month
In the Black Swan Bar
Doors 6pm / Music 7:30-10:30pm
Free admission!
The Black Swan’s long standing Jazz Jam, where the house trio invite all jazz instrumentalists and singers to join them and jam together. All listeners welcome too. Upcoming Tuesday Jams…
3 November
Stu Collingwood (keys), Paul Grainger (bass), Abbie Finn (drums)
17 November
Jacob Egglestone (guitar), Paul Grainger (bass), Joe Deans (drums)
Jazz Cafe Presents… At The Black Swan:
Jazz Jam Sandwich
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month
In the Black Swan Bar
Doors 6pm / Music 7:30pm – 10:30pm
Free admission!
This Jam comes in all kinds of flavours covering afro-beat, funk, soul and world music. It’s all about freedom, expression and good vibes. We invite you to take up your instrument of choice and contribute to the creativity. Drop in and take part or simply sit back and soak it up. Upcoming Jam Sandwiches…
10 November
8 December
Black Swan Quiz!
Every Wednesday night
In the Black Swan Bar
Doors 6pm / Quiz 8pm-10:15pm.
£1 per person to enter. Up to 6 members per team
Test yourself on General Knowledge, Film and TV, Music and the Specialist Subject, plus earn extra points in the Bonus Challenges.
Come first to have a spin on The Wheel of Plenty and win some cold hard cash, but don’t worry if you fall short, there are plenty of “booby” prizes up for grabs too
For more info click HERE…
Art Courses
Run in our Studios on Wednesday evenings and Saturday daytimes, offering a tutorship in a variety of mediums and art skills.
For more info click HERE…
SalSeduce
Salsa Classes and Club every Friday night in the Black Swan Bar & Venue.
For more info click HERE…
EVENTS CALENDAR
Listings of Live Music with Guest Artists, Exhibitions and Special Events
october ’26
Newcastle Arts Centre & The Showcase Presents
ECLECTICUS – Sat 19th Sept – Sat 31st Oct
New Drawings and Sculptures by Nick Banks
Preview – Sat 26th Sept, 2-4pm
NAC & Nick invites press and members of the public to this Preview to meet himself, and to celebrate this impressive collection of work.
Refreshments served from 2pm.
NAC Gallery & The Showcase
Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm
FREE ENTRY
This latest body of work by Nick Banks, comprising drawing and sculpture, captures an eclectic breadth of subject matter, across moments, objects, and memories. As a collection, ECLECTICUS deviates from theme, developing ideas and imagery that have flowed to Nick ‘like figures emerging from the mist.’
The drawings show Nick’s dedicated and consistent exploration of tone. Each work is pushed and pulled through multiple, quite physical transitions of line and shade, worked back and forth before settling at a resolved state. Despite their size, each one has been rigorously worked upon as if creating on a much larger scale.
The sculptures have come from the notion that simple objects can have a potent charge. Inspired by trips to The British Museum as an art student, where Nick was drawn to the modest, often domestic artefacts, rather than the grand imposing sculptures. His intrigue in their timeless nature and their lasting resonance was the trigger for Nick when creating these new pieces.
Jazz Cafe Presents… at The Black Swan
Eva Fox and the Sound Hounds – Tuesday 27th October
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
Our live music comes from local quartet Eva Fox & the Sound Hounds. Versatile vocalist Eva Fox, who has been influenced by the modern jazz stylings of Diana Krall, Veronica Swift and Madeleine Peyroux, is joined by seasoned musicians on the local jazz scene: the multi-tasking, musical stylings of Jude Murphy on bass, organ and piano aficionado Steve Chambers, all-rounder drummer Sid White, and more recently accompanied by eclectic guitarist Steve Glendinning, who brings jazz, flamenco and world music influences to the arrangements.
Whilst keeping their style close to the swinging rhythms of the traditional jazz era, the sound hounds have also fused an eclectic mix of jazz-styled 60s-70s tunes with a few blues and contemporary pop variations.
november ’26
LIVE Thursdays
Northern Reaches – Thursday 5th November
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
Presenting a hot new collaboration between the region’s top musicians. Northern Reaches is an improvisational journey into the legends and history of the wild border regions between Scotland and England. Incorporating electronic effects, break beats and pulsating riffs, Laurence Blackadder (bass), Joe Steels (guitar), John Hirst (drums) and Pete Tanton (trumpet), paint a harmonic landscape where rhythm is key to unlocking ghosts of the past in this premier performance.
LIVE Thursdays
Michael Woods – Thursday 12th November
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
Presenting North East gem, acoustic guitarist Michael Woods. Join Michael for an evening of fingerpicking, Ragtime, Bottleneck & Blues inspired by the great country blues guitarists like Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller and Rev. Gary Davis. With four albums under his belt and a strong name in the acoustic Roots & Blues scene of the UK, Michael has honed a reputation as a passionate, authentic musician.
For his Website click HERE
For his Facebook click HERE
LIVE Thursdays
Papa G’s Troves – Thursday 19th November
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
It’s high time the Troves made a reunion, dontch’ya think? Papa G’s Troves had been delighting audiences for years with their mix of lively, electic and crowd-pleasing funk and jazz. With great audience interaction and some quirky instruments, the Troves always offered a one-of-a-kind live experience, and always thoroughly recommended. After a hiatus of a few years, Papa G and his trusty Troves are back for a reunion gig here at The Black Swan, so make sure you’re here for it!
LIVE Thursdays
Howlin’ Mat – Thursday 26th November
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
Every inch the blues man, Howlin’ Mat has played the world over, with gigs in Norway, Morocco, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Poland. A nationally acclaimed slide guitarist and cites Elmore James, R.L. Burnside and Mississippi Fred McDowell amongst his major influences. No Howlin‘ Mat show would be complete without his trademark cigar box guitar. Howlin‘ Mat is also a skilled storyteller intertwining tales of life on the road with his music to create an intimate and unique experience for each audience.
For his Facebook click HERE
Newcastle Arts Centre & St. Mary’s Sixth Form Presents
St. Mary’s Student Exhibition
– Sat 7th Nov – Sat 14th Nov
NAC Gallery
Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm
FREE ENTRY
Preview – Sat 7th Nov, 2-4pm
The staff & students of St. Mary’s, & NAC invite exhibiting artists, their family and friends, press and members of the public to this Preview to celebrate the student’s artwork.
Refreshments served from 2pm.
St. Mary’s High School Fine Art & Photography Dept. boasts an array of vision and talent from its students, and it strives to provide them with the opportunity to develop their artistic practice.
Newcastle Arts Centre has long played a role in platforming the next generation of artists coming up through the North East. For many years we’ve been the home to Newcastle College’s Degree Shows. So we’re thrilled to be welcoming back for a second year the Art Students of St. Mary’s Sixth Form, and continuing to showcase the artwork of our region’s young people.
With us for only one week, make sure to catch this exhibition and witness the art of the future.
Newcastle Arts Centre Presents
Artists of NAC Winter Exhibition 2026
– Sat 21st Nov 2026 – Jan 2027
Preview – Sat 21st Nov, 2-4pm
NAC invites press and members of the public to this Preview to meet the Art Centre’s network of artists, and to share in our creative community.
Refreshments served from 2pm.
NAC Gallery
Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm
FREE ENTRY
Newcastle Arts Centre has many spaces, departments, and facilities. Our community of Studio Holders; from painters to puppeteers, sculptors to bookbinders, a dynamic group of artists have chosen to make the Arts Centre their creative home. Our long standing shops, Details Art Materials, Craftshop, and the Frameshop, supporting and supplying creative practice and craftspeople. The Office staff programming the Art Centre’s activity and projects. Art Course Tutors delivering a range of practical classes. The Black Swan Venue team hosting our live music and events. The Trustees and Building Operatives working hard on maintaining and developing our site.
We’re proud that so many of our team are artists as well. This exhibition celebrates the artwork of those who work and spend time at the Arts Centre, and who contribute to its collective creativity.
December ’26
LIVE Thursdays
Christmas with Carmen – Thursday 17th December
The Black Swan Bar
Doors open 6pm / Live music from 7:30pm
FREE ENTRY
Ho-Ho-Holy Moly it’s Christmas! So come and join Carmen Silk for her Christmas party at The Black Swan! Carmen is a classically trained singer, with a recognisable voice as is both silky smooth and beltingly powerful. She’ll be making us merry with classic Christmas tunes, and with the help of you – her lovely audience! Come and jingle a bell, pull a cracker, have a choccy from the tin and a glass of something sparkly!
For her Facebook click HERE
