Heritage of Change

GemArts celebrates the creativity and culture of people from the global majority in Gateshead and has noticed that we are not always represented in conversations about the history and heritage of Gateshead. We think it’s important to make historic people of colour in Gateshead visible and well researched. We're working with young people from our Homework Club to research stories of migration and the impact new neighbours have had on the town, we'll be making a brand new place marker to share those stories.
What is a place marker?
​There are lots of statues, murals and monuments about Gateshead’s history. Some were designed to remember specific events, like World War Two. Some remember specific people who had an impact on the area. And some are monuments to something bigger, like how the Angel of the North and how it makes people proud of the historic industry in Gateshead. Place markers don’t have to be sculptures or statues though, they could be a Roman pizza oven, audio tours, paper trails or anything that helps tell the story of that specific place. With Historic England funding we'll be creating a space to remember together, they can lay a wreath of poppies at the cenotaph, or gather at a specific building or statue to collectively share a historic anniversary. Place markers are a way for people to celebrate, mourn or learn about history.

How can I help?
We're looking for volunteers to support young people's research- whether you're creative, a history buff or have a story to share we'd like to hear from you. 
We want to speak to people who made Gateshead their home, there are very few stories in the archive and we want to make sure future historians have lots to work with- so whether you arrived in 1965 or 2025 we'd like to hear from you. 
Or sign up to be a volunteer to provide research advice or get creative.