To see more about past events scroll to the bottom of this page
Animating Ashington
Location
Client
Northumberland Council
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Animating Ashington is a programme of events designed to bring colour and excitement to Ashington Town Centre and surrounding communities
Light Nights - Photo by David Lawson
Upcoming Events
- Art-Works
January – September 2025
A series of community-inspired artworks will bring colour to the town centre as the exciting regeneration programme takes place. We will be working with a local artist and young and older residents to create art inspired by the Ashington Futures project.
- One Amazing Day
Date: Saturday 31 May
Time: 11am - 6pm
Venue: Station Road/High Street
Ashington Town Centre will be bursting with creativity for One Amazing Day. A carnival of music, street performance, arts and crafts. Where you might find a giant animatronic tortoise roaming around the smallest hotel in the world. Or a hypochondriac hippopotamus with a toothache stopping passers-by to take his temperature. With have-a-go activities such as a Try Not Buy arts market and Hip Hop dancing. It’s Ashington as never before, transformed into a festival of fantastical fun.
- Powering the Future Parade
Date: Sunday 6 June
Time: TBC
Venue: The People’s Park
Come and join our Powering the Future Parade alongside a true wonder of the Victorian Age, a full-size replica of Stephenson’s Rocket, as we celebrate the opening of the Northumberland line, bringing passenger trains back into service between Ashington and Newcastle for the first time in 60 years. Two centuries after its creation we’ve redesigned The Rocket for the 21st century, a truly clean machine – fuelled not by coke but by old fashioned pedal power. Pulling first, second and third class carriages through Ashington’s Streets and making its way to the Town Fete in the People's Park. And carrying six horse passengers, relieved of their labour, by the advent of the steam engine and heading off on their holidays to Whitley Bay, dressed in their Victorian best hats, frocks and suitcases in their hooves. A celebration of transport, connectivity and renewable energy. Why not come and join the parade!
- Future Proofing
Date: Tuesday 2 September 2025
Time: TBC
Venue: TBC
A day of reflection and learning with key stakeholders, businesses and community representatives. Looking back at Animating Ashington and focussing on the future.
Keep coming back to this page or look out on our social media for more information and times of events.
Past Events
Toy Procession
We animated Ashington this December with three processions featuring elves, Christmas crackers, a fairy mouse, a clockwork doll, a sweet fairy, a toy robot and a Christmas Tree. The procession also featured a live six -piece band and a troop of mini dancing toy soldiers from the Gladwin ballet and stage school, and led the Town Centre's lantern parade to the Christmas Tree Lights celebrations and the big switch-on, entertaining 5,400 people.
The Toy Procession was originally commissioned by Manchester Markets and Manchester BID
Light Night
We kick started the New Year by lighting up Station Road and Ashington’s Estates with two nights of pop up interactive drumming and movement spectaculars. We joining forces with international street performers Spark! to bring dynamic lighting, choreography and eye catching special effects right to the front doors of Ashington.
Pride of Ashington Torch Lit Procession
Feast of Fire
Hirst Park was lit up as a dramatic, flame-lit garden. Full of wonder, burning bulrushes, a flower flamed arch, flaming lotus flowers, local music and food! A sensory overload of light, sound and exotic tastes and aromas. We teamed up with Full Circle to add some extra spice to our Fire Garden so visitors could enjoy homegrown and cooked food representing the diversity of residents they support.
Seeding the Future Week
Renowned Land Artist James Brunt and friends held workshops with local young people and older community members to participate in the creation of site-responsive pieces of land art. He spent time in the town researching the development of a large-scale land artwork inspired by conversations with Ashington young people about the environment and how they see Ashington in the future.
Credits
Commissioned by Northumberland County Council and delivered by Walk the Plank, Animating Ashington is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the North East Combined Authority with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority. It is part of the Regenerating Ashington Programme to grow, renew and connect the town.
Delivered by Walk the Plank on behalf of Northumberland County Council, the project will take place between November 2024 to August 2025.
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