Skip to main content

The Glasshouse

Home  →  About Us

About Us

The Glasshouse is a home for live music lovers.

It’s a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or opera singers. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum-selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practise in the same spaces as our acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Because as an international centre for music we’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from our region or bringing the world’s best artists to our stages. And as a charity we’re focused on making sure all of that is available to anyone – no matter where you’re from, how old you are, how much money you have, or what challenges you face.

Which is why every year more than 2 million people are able to join us for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in our own venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.

So whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows here.

For our community

  • We’re a Warm Space offering a warm welcome for anyone wishing to use our concourse, café and bar areas. We’ve also got a dedicated area off our concourse with free WiFi and charging points for people looking for somewhere to work remotely. Our baby changing facilities are fully stocked and our toilets are fully stocked with free sanitary products. We also offer tea and coffee on a ‘pay what you decide’ basis.
  • We’re committed to supporting refugee and asylum seeker communities to enjoy music at The Glasshouse. Whether that’s free tickets for gigs and concerts, taking part in a class or project, or coming to spend time in the building for a free hot drink. We have made a pledge to the City of Sanctuary network, and are working on becoming a Theatre of Sanctuary. As part of this pledge, we’ll have more projects, ticket offers and classes in our programme – all coming soon!

Artistic Partners

The Glasshouse is the place where artists and music fans meet. Our new Artistic Partners will be curating and creating with The Glasshouse for three years, starting as we get ready to celebrate 20 years of music in a landmark year for our landmark building. Read more about them below.

Annual Reviews and Policies

Our Board of Trustees

Sir Martin Narey (Chair)

Roy McEwan Brown OBE (Vice Chair) Former CEO and Director of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Ltd

Mike Barker Strategic Director, Corporate Services & Governance, at Gateshead Council

Darren Collins Treasurer and Strategic Director of Resources and Digital at Gateshead Council

Emily Cox MBE Head of Colleague Relations at Lloyds Banking Group

Emyr Penry Dance Trumpeter, composer and band leader

Subashis Das Creative Director, Everyman & Playhouse Theatres

Gabriel Day Founder of Ape Team Ltd event and venue management

Hilary Florek Managing Director at HF PR

Jacqui Hodgson Former BBC reporter, Correspondent, producer and editor

Caroline Jackson Associate Director, BDO UK LLP

Herb Kim Founder of Thinking Digital conference and TEDx event series

Joanna Lawson Head of Governance at Girlguiding

Ruth Lyon Local singer/songwriter

Jane Spiers Chair, National Theatre of Scotland

Tony Wadsworth CBE Former Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK  

Alfie Whillis Music theory tutor and occasional music producer/engineer

Supporting The Glasshouse

We want to inspire and involve people of all ages and backgrounds, and do so through a range of music activities that everyone can enjoy.