Gallery announces move to secure future
GoogleA former gallery known for photography exhibitions documenting working-class life has announced its move to a new venue.
Side was opened by the Amber film and photography collective in 1977 to capture and celebrate life in the north-east of England.
But the Newcastle-based gallery closed in April 2023 due to "critical funding cuts and the cost of living crisis", and while there was hope it would eventually reopen, it was announced in December that the plans had been dropped.
Side will now open a curational office at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, with the two working together to put on future exhibitions.
It said the move was a "pragmatic response to the pressures facing arts organisations" and allowed it to bring its collection to a wider audience.
The gallery was co-founded by the late Chris Killip, one of the UK's most important and influential post-War photographers.
PA Media"With public funding shrinking and the cost of running independent venues escalating, many arts organisations today are facing closure," it said in a statement.
"Side and Baltic have chosen to co-operate in a mutually beneficial agreement."
While the two will work together, they will remain fully independent and their archives separate.
The move will take place in February ahead of Side's 50th anniversary in 2027.
It also hopes to invest more in education and community work by expanding into schools and youth groups to create local documentary art.
Managing director Laura Laffler said: "Rooted in the North East, connected internationally, we will continue to commission, co-create and champion work that speaks to resilience, struggle and collective imagination."
The gallery was forced to close after its Art Council funding was stopped.
At the time, Arts Council England said the investment round was "extremely competitive" and it would work with Amber to see how it could support it.
Sarah Munro, director of Baltic, said: "It is important that Side's collection, its legacy and their future survive and thrive.
"In these challenging times, it's vital to find new ways of working together."
