Media, Culture, Heritage Facilities
Our facilities include Culture Lab, a hub for digital media and film practice at Newcastle University.
Film and media facilities
Students on our BA in Film Practices and BA in Film and Media are based in Culture Lab, a hub for digital media and film practice at Newcastle University
Our dedicated team of film and media technicians is also based in Culture Lab. The team works alongside staff and students to support projects and deliver specialist teaching on modules.
Culture Lab has an equipment loans facility. This provides MCH students with the opportunity to access to the gear they need during their studies.
MCH students have the opportunity to use Culture Lab’s industry-standard equipment and cutting-edge editing and production facilities.
The Assembly Room is our dedicated production teaching facility. It supports our practice-based teaching across our film, media and journalism programmes.
The teaching space features 36 high-spec PCs built for 4K and above editing using Adobe CC. As one of the most powerful computer spaces on campus, it supports practical teaching, collaborative workshops and production experimentation.
Connected to the main Assembly Room is The Greenroom, an editing area with 18 additional PCs open for student use.
All computer systems in Culture Lab use our proprietary, ultra-fast data storage solution. This provides network-managed media access for all MCH users.
The Ballroom is a screening, lecture, performance and events space used across the School of Arts & Cultures. The room is a flexible facility used for:
- screening-based teaching
- creative experimentation
- collaborative workshops
- media production
Further to the student editing areas, we have six high quality multiscreen 4k video editing systems.
Their quiet, comfortable environments are specifically designed for group editing. All are ready with state-of-the-art film editing systems.
You'll also have access to Adobe Creative Cloud, and a variety of open-source sound mixing, colour grading, and film-making tools.
Culture Lab houses our Sound Studio facility. This dedicated space is for making audio and radio broadcast-style recordings, as well as experimental sound installations and research into advanced audio techniques. The room includes:
- a dead ‘live room’
- an attached Protools, Cubase, and Adobe CC based control room
- latest control surface technologies
- industry-standard stereo monitoring options
- high-end outboard processing equipment
Professional and other cultural resources in the region
Journalism
The journalism team at Newcastle have forged strong teaching links with leading media organisations in the North East.
Jesmond Local is a digital news hub serving a vibrant city suburb. It started out as an entrepreneurial hyper-local news project offering continuing real-world work experience. It still is, but it has also become a widely renowned laboratory of inquiry where our students can develop and explore new models of journalism.
Galleries
The region is particularly famous for its galleries. These include large, internationally renowned institutions such as:
- Hatton Gallery - based at Newcastle University
- BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art - the biggest gallery of its kind in the world
- Laing Art Gallery
- Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art
- National Glass Centre
- Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art
In Newcastle-Gateshead there is a thriving art scene and a plethora of smaller, independent galleries with vibrant exhibition programmes.
Newcastle hosts internationally significant arts events, including the biennial Audio-Visual Festival and the annual Northern Design Festival.
Heritage
The region has important World Heritage sites, including:
There are numerous historic castles, monasteries and Ancient Roman sites, as well as areas of outstanding natural beauty.
They include the North Pennines in Northumberland National Park and the Northumberland coast. The Northumberland countryside is also home to large quantities of prehistoric rock art.
The urban heritage of the region is also significant, in particular in the 18th century heart of Newcastle and the medieval buildings of Newcastle and nearby Durham City. Additionally, the region has strong intangible heritage traditions relating to music, dance, agriculture and sport.
Museums
Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums operates several museums across the region. We have especially strong links with: