Get Ready for an Artistic Snack with “Nibbles”
We’ve commissioned six creative organisations to deliver its latest programme aimed at matching local communities and venues with pop-up performances.
Nibbles is a reimagined version of The Cultural Spring’s successful Bitesize commissions. Nibbles are small-scale commissions where creatives will be matched with local venues and/or community groups to create and test out new ideas for performances in their communities
Each commission is an opportunity to explore themes relevant to a local area, school or group, using the expertise of artists and performers to develop and trial these early-stage ideas together.
Emma Scarr, Producer at The Cultural Spring, explained: “Because great things often start small, Nibbles is all about bite-sized bursts of creativity, small but mighty pop-up events that bring theatre, art, music, and performance right into the heart of communities across Sunderland and South Tyneside.
“Just like sharing a plate of good food brings people together, these commissions are designed to be collaborative, inviting artists, musicians and performers to serve up unforgettable experiences.
“We had a fantastic response to our Nibbles commissions with 43 applications. We took a different approach to the interview process by inviting all shortlisted creatives to meet each other, share food and take part in a series of icebreakers. It was a bit unusual, but we felt it encapsulated what we want to achieve with Nibbles; to be fun, test new ways to engage and share experiences.”
The Nibbles commissions were chosen from a shortlist by a panel of Cultural Spring Community Champions. Each commission will include an element of sharing food and local people will play a leading role in co-creating theses new concept ideas, which could be a short pop-up theatre piece, music event, exhibition or spoken word.
Four of these new commissions will be engaging with community groups and organisations in Sunderland and three commissions will be working across South Tyneside.
The successful commissions are:
Dr Kate Sweeney and Phyllis Christoper – Kate and Phyllis are artists whose practices explore queer kinship, LGBT+ history, and community collaboration through archives, photography, and participatory projects. Their ‘We Are Family’ project is an opportunity for members of the LGBTQI+ community in South Tyneside to share stories and histories as part of a photography and creative arts project and exhibition.
Christina Dawson – Christina is a South Shields-based actor, writer, and theatre maker with 20 years’ experience of the arts. She uses drama and writing to uncover shared themes, celebrate identity, and build connection. For this commission, she is posing an open question to groups across South Tyneside: ‘What do you want to say to the world?’
Performance Ensemble – this group is a collective of older artists. They co-create high level performance work, inspired by real stories of the older people who participate in their projects. Performance Ensemble’s Bench Encounters project is inspired by Zimbabwe’s Friendship Bench project, a mental health initiative created in Zimbabwe in response to the lack of mental health services. This commission will be across Sunderland and South Tyneside and will be led by filmmaker and older artist Alex Elliot and supported by Alan Lyddiard, Artistic Director of Performance Ensemble.
King Ink - King Ink CIC is home to Sunderland’s hidden poets, hosting the region’s largest open mic night at Pop Recs since 2022. The group runs workshops, youth groups, publishes anthologies, and collaborates with local communities through residencies, performances, and a podcast. James Whitman writer and creative writing tutor will be leading on this commission which will be run in conjunction with Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen where participants will co-create poems and short films culminating in a sharing event and public screening in 2026.
Marty Longstaff and Ray Hopkins (Sunderland Music City) – Marty’s creative work centres on storytelling through song and collaborative workshops, fostering dialogue and shared understanding and connection. Marty will collaborate with like-minded songwriter Ray, who has written 200+ songs and founded the inclusive music group A Band Like This. Their commission will link music-making with allotments, focusing on collaboration, sensory engagement, and celebrating participants’ stories with a focus on engaging older people and those without regular access to cultural spaces.
Hannah Walker - Hannah is a comedy performer and theatre maker creating autobiographical work that opens conversations around overlooked or stigmatised aspects of everyday life. For this commission, Hannah will be creating space for people affected by addiction to speak openly, feel heard and push for change.
Emma added: “We’re delighted with the range and breadth of the Nibbles commissions chosen and are excited by what those chosen will deliver in conjunction with their local community groups.
“We see Nibbles as a match-making process where we pair selected artists or performers with a venue or community group, ensuring the project is championed and rooted in local themes and stories.
“We also see Nibbles as a stepping stone for developing and unlocking further funding streams to refine the ideas into potentially much large scale events and shows.”
Funding for the Nibbles project in Sunderland will come from The Cultural Spring’s Arts Council England, Creative People and Places funding; in South Tyneside, funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity scheme through South Tyneside Council and in partnership with the South Tyneside Cultural Partnership group.