Tourism and travel

The most beautiful, intense, spiritual and uplifting music ever written, played with a new energy and rapture by the musicians of Northern Sinfonia.

Northern Sinfonia is delighted to be Classic FM’s orchestra in the North East. This series includes many of the masterworks that appear regularly on the radio station with a special leaning towards those that appear in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, the world’s biggest annual survey of classical music tastes.

These concerts are about great music brilliantly played and are suitable for anyone new or relatively new to classical concert attendance through to those classical enthusiasts who just want to experience their favourite pieces live.

All concerts take place in Hall One and begin at 7.30pm. Ticket prices range from £7.50 - £26.50.

Northern Sinfonia with Thomas Zehetmair
Thursday 1 December 7:30 pm

Northern Sinfonia with Stephen Cleobury
Saturday 28 January 7:30 pm

Northern Sinfonia with Ainars Rubikis
Friday 17 February 7:30 pm

Northern Sinfonia with Bradley Creswick
Thursday 1 March 7:30 pm

Northern Sinfonia with Mario Venzago
Friday 6 April 7:30 pm

Northern Sinfonia with Christian Vasquez
Sunday 6 May 7:30 pm

Buy One, Get One Free on Ice skating at Life, weekdays only until February 10 2012  - Download voucher here
Every winter, Life hosts the region's favourite ice rink on Times Square, right outside the Science Centre. You can enjoy a skate with family and friends seven days a week. For Admission Prices , opening times and and terms and conditions visit the Centre for Life website. 
New!  7 DAY SPECIAL. Skate and then keep your ticket to return and visit the Centre within 7 days

This exhibition from the Royal Collection comes directly to us from the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. It brings together 38 remarkable works from the golden age of Dutch painting, including landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael & Aelbert Cuyp.

Working with photography, video and drawing, Pakistani artist, Bani Abidi looks at manifestations of state power and resilience in civil society. For this her first UK solo public exhibition, Abidi is presenting Section Yellow, comprising the film The Distance from Here along with several photographic series.

This recent film portrays a fraught space where people wait to submit visa applications and traces the entanglement of bureaucratic processes involved. The collective expression of patience and silence is a powerful metaphor in her work, as is the idea of crossing thresholds from one place to another. Abidi weaves an atmosphere that evokes the personal, domestic and the familiar, set against the larger tectonic forces associated with nationhood and citizenship within Pakistan today

Every weekend from Saturday, 5th November 2011 through to Sunday, 26th February 2012, visitors can take a turn on the ice. The ice rink will also be open each day during half term from Saturday 11th to Sunday 19th February, including Monday and Friday.
Visitors choosing to use our ice rink do so at their own risk. Admission to the rink is on a first come first served basis. The rink is 20 metres by 10 metres and is made from real ice. It can accommodate approximately 66 skaters at any one time. Cosy skate hire hut and drinks stall, so that visitors can put on their skates in comfort and warm themselves with a delicious hot drink. The rink will be decorated in a traditional Edwardian style with festoon lighting and have fairground organ music too.

The fascinating story of the thriving artistic community that emerged from the small fishing village of Cullercoats in the late 1800s will be told in a new exhibition at Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum.

Cullercoats: An artists’ colony by the sea will feature a range of specially selected artworks from the North Tyneside Council and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums collections, including paintings by Robert Jobling, John Falconar Slater and Bernard Benedict Hermy.

This is an exclusive chance to find out about Jacqueline Wilson, in the first ever exhibition dedicated to the best selling author. Let Jacqueline guide you through a journey of her favourite stories, characters, daydreams and working process. We’ll show you how your favourite characters began including Tracy Beaker, Hetty Feather and The Illustrated Mum, from ideas to text and working with illustrator Nick Sharratt to bring her stories to life. Be inspired to create your own stories, sit and daydream or join Jacky’s HUGE fan base from all over the world.

And to top it all off, follow Jacky on her creative journey during the making of Sapphire Battersea, the sequel to Hetty Feather, due for release in Sept 2011.

An exhibition featuring a sparkling selection of glass replicas of some of the world's most famous diamonds.

Step inside 62 West Wallaby Street (the home of Wallace & Gromit) to explore a fantastic world of innovation.

The interactive exhibition appeals to all ages, using the much loved Oscar®winning characters and their famous 62 West Wallaby Street home to showcase how innovation contributes to everyday life, while looking more closely at some fascinating inventions from our history.

Each room in the house is full of hands-on activities, fun and games: pop into the living room to experience the Oscar® winning duo’s very own creation -the Tellyscope II; step back in time in the 1960s kitchen to experience familiar brands and adverts and belt our your favourite songs in the bathroom’s karaoke shower.
You can see the life changing creations that grew out of the simplest of ideas- and the half-baked ideas that never got off the ground (“chocolate tea pot Gromit?”)

Why not unleash your inner inventor and get top tips on how to protect your own big ideas. Oh- and watch out for Wallace and Gromit who could make an appearance at any time!

Exhibition opens…
Date: Saturday 16th April 2011
Time: 10.00am to 6pm (last entry 3.30) Monday to Saturdays, 11pm to 5pm (last entry 2.30pm) Sundays
Place: Life Science Centre, Times Square, Newcastle NE1 4EP www.life.org.uk
Prices: Tickets available online or Tel: 08444 815 880 Adult £9 Child £6.25 (Concession and Family tickets also) www.life.org.uk

* Sponsored by The Intellectual Property Office. An Aardman experience at Life, produced by SGA

Are you looking for exciting activities to enjoy with your little ones? Visit Life's NEW hands-on play area, specially designed for the under 7s. 'It's Up to You' lets children explore a garden with a tree house, a shop, a cafe and kitchen, and a recycling centre. They can grow vegetables, prepare a meal, visit a cafe and sort out the rubbish for recycling. All everyday activities for grown ups- but all new when you're 4! I's an exciting, stimulating and safe world where children get to take charge, learn new things and have fun.

Funded by SITA Trust, as part of their 'No More Waste' programme.