Housing for All

The Farrell Centre announces its 2026 season under the theme of ‘Housing for All’. Good quality, affordable housing should be available to everyone. But in Britain in 2026, this isn’t the case. Over 2026, we explore what needs to change to bring an end to the current housing crisis and how we can build a city, region – and country – that provides housing for all.

At the core of the season are two exhibitions. Newcastle Quayside at 40 is organised in partnership with Muse, original developers of the Quayside, and marks forty years since the inception of the plan to regenerate a part of the city that had fallen into decay and disrepair.

This exhibition explores the ideas and aspirations that shaped the regeneration plan, the individuals and organisations who drove them forward, including Sir Terry Farrell who was responsible for the Quayside masterplan, and the circumstances that made the project such a success.

Housing Standardisation is an exhibition developed by Professor Sam Jacoby of the Royal College of Art and a team of researchers and practitioners. Based on a three-year study of recently built affordable and subsidised housing in England, Chile, China, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, this exhibition brings together 37 in-depth case studies that document typical homes and the lived experiences of their residents.

Through photographs, models and plans, it considers how housing design is shaped by policy regulations, local cultures and the everyday expectations and experiences of residents.

The international explorations are joined by series of case-studies documenting recent Housing in the North East, organised by Dr Dhruv Sookhoo of Manchester Metropolitan University.

Alongside the two main exhibitions, the Farrell Centre is also staging an installation of the film Song of the Suburbs in association with the BFI. Created by Graham Williamson, the film tells the surprising and intriguing story of a hidden Britain.

The exhibitions are complemented by a programme of talks, entitled Where We Live Now, which explore a range of issues shaping the present and future of housing in the North East and beyond. A series of walking tours as part of our ongoing Urban Explorers series explore several notable housing projects in the North East. Further events and initiatives will be announced over the course of the year.

 Far too many people are stuck in housing that’s unaffordable, badly maintained, or unsuited to their needs – and far too many are without a house at all. It isn’t that we don’t know how to make good housing, but that we struggle to do so at scale and where it’s needed most. We hope this year-long focus will help unlock how we might change this and create a society that offers good quality housing for all.

Newcastle Quayside at 40 - 26 February to 18 December 2026

Newcastle Quayside has always been central to the city’s identity. For most of its history, it was a heavy industrial area - shipbuilding, armaments manufacturing, warehouses. Where goods would be loaded onto ships to be transported across the world. But as the city – and country – deindustrialised in the 1960s and 1970s, the area fell into decline, decay and widespread dereliction.

2026 marks forty years since the inception of the plan to regenerate the Quayside and make it a place that the city could once again be proud of. The project involved many partners, but at its core was the strategic oversight of the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation, the place-making expertise of developers Amec (now known as Muse), and the urban vision of Sir Terry Farrell, who oversaw the masterplan.

This exhibition brings together a range of archive materials that reveal the ideas and aspirations that shaped the regeneration plan and the individuals and organisations who drove them forward. A new specially commissioned film explores what made the project so successful, reintegrating the Quayside into the city and creating the well-loved place it is today.

You can watch the newly commissioned film produced by WithLove Studio and the LDN Collective here: https://vimeo.com/1168420597. It captures the vision behind the masterplan and the partnerships that made the Quayside’s transformation possible.

The exhibition has been organised with Paul Greenhalgh and Kevin Muldoon-Smith, and the North East Regeneration Archive (NERA).

 In partnership with

 Original developers of Newcastle Quayside

 Phil Mayall, Managing Director of Muse, said:

"Newcastle Quayside holds a special place in Muse's story, and celebrating 40 years is a reminder of just how transformative great placemaking can be. We’re proud to have played a part in shaping a neighbourhood that has become a backdrop to everyday life for communities across the city. As Newcastle continues to grow and evolve, we’re as committed as ever to working with local partners to help deliver places that bring lasting benefits for people across the North East.

"It’s brilliant to see the Farrell Centre marking this milestone with a season of exhibitions and events that celebrate the Quayside’s legacy while also exploring the future of housing and city‑making in the region. Bringing people together to reflect, learn and share ideas is exactly what helps places thrive, and we’re delighted to support the programme."

 Max Farrell, CEO of LDN Collective, said:

 “Newcastle Quayside is one of the great success stories of urban regeneration. The masterplan, designed by my father Sir Terry Farrell, set out a bold vision to reconnect the city with its river and it was brought to life through the commitment and long-term stewardship of Muse, whose belief in the place helped transform it into the thriving destination we see today. Forty years on, it remains a powerful example of how vision, partnerships and patience can reshape a city and its identity. We are delighted to have worked on the film telling the story, hopefully it will inspire future generations of city makers.”

Housing Standardisation - 26 February to 18 December 2026

What does a typical home in England look like? How does it compare to housing in other countries? How are these homes designed? And what is it like to live in them?

This exhibition examines how housing design governance and lived experience shape the quality of homes and the wellbeing of residents, analysing the political, economic, social, historical, and environmental drivers of design. Drawing on new and rich comparative data and evidence from England, Chile, China, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland, it explores how contextual standards, cultural norms, social expectations, and regulatory practices influence everyday life and perceptions of subsidised housing.

The Housing Standardisation research project and resulting exhibition was funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. The exhibition at the Farrell Centre is supported by the Royal College of Art and the Manchester School of Architecture.

Installation: Graham Williamson: Song of the Suburbs

5 March – 29 May 2026

As part of the BFI’s National Archive Our Screen Heritage programme, Teesside-based film-maker Graham Williamson has compiled nearly a century of archive footage from movies, television, amateur film and the internet to tell the story of the British suburbs. Are they conformist or eccentric? Conservative or radical? Normal or surreal? Song of the Suburbs reveals they’re all these things, and more.

Featuring extreme slum clearance, the foundation of the welfare state, poltergeists in suburban London, the North Korean embassy in a suburban semi, the rise of new towns and the fall of the high-rise flat, solstice rituals at Milton Keynes, allotments, extremely dangerous children’s games, a house shaped like a UFO, and a fluffy caterpillar.

The footage gathered includes TikToks and YouTube travelogues, silent documentaries made by anti-slum campaigners, films by Jill Craigie and Charlotte Regan, animation from Bob Godfrey and Derek Phillips, Super 8 home movies and student films, news reports from Nationwide, government information films and more, all to tell the story of a part of Britain too often mislabelled as boring.

Our Screen Heritage is supported by the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.

Events

Where We Live Now

A series of events tackling the big questions facing housing in Newcastle, the North East and beyond.

Council Housing Now – Thursday 26 March

Exploring the past, present and future of council housing in the North East.

Rethinking New Towns – Thursday 16 April

Designer Wayne Hemingway rethinks New Towns.

Urban Living – Thursday 21 May

After the Urban Renaissance: living in the city centre today.

Urban Explorers

A programme of walking tours around notable housing projects in Newcastle and the North East.

Urban Explorers: Byker Estate – Saturday 14 March

Explore the North East's urban past and present during this programme of walking tours led by photographer Euan Lynn.

Urban Explorers: Killingworth – Saturday 11 April

Discover some of the North East's great modernist gems on this tour of Killingworth.

Urban Explorers: Peterlee – Saturday 13 June

Explore the North East's urban past and present during this programme of walking tours led by photographer Euan Lynn.

Owen Hopkins, Director of the Farrell Centre, said:

“Access to good quality, affordable housing should be a fundamental right, but one that for too long our towns and cities have been unable to provide. Across this season, we aim to explore not just why this is, but how we might change it. We are delighted to be working with a range of partners to do this, including Professor Sam Jacoby at the Royal College of Art and Muse, original developers of the Newcastle Quayside – a project that remains an exemplar in inclusive city-making and a vital template for the future.”