As the country hopefully moves towards an easing of social distancing restrictions, SAW is preparing to gradually reopen our building to its full use.

Please rest assured we are very keen to begin running our full programme of in-person exhibitions, events, workshops and community groups again. However, due to challenges which include limited staff capacity and a small office space, we will approach this reopening with caution rather than speed. Our top priority remains keeping our staff, visitors and communities safe.

With this is mind, we have agreed the following steps:

• In our reopening plan, we will prioritise community groups’ use of the building. This means community groups will return to the building before we begin opening public exhibitions. Community groups are integral to the life of SAW, and starting in-person groups again is only currently possible without additional pressure of managing visitors to socially-distanced exhibitions and staff time being taken up by exhibition invigilation. The first group to recommence use of the building will be Painting for Fun. Mixing Bowl will restart meeting in person at SAW later in the year (keep an eye on the Mixing Bowl page for updates)
• We will endeavour to restart in-person exhibitions and arts events in September 2021. Until then, we will continue with our programme of online events, exhibitions and printed zines. Please check our website for further updates.

Updated 10:43am, 2 June 2021

Previous Covid 19 Statement, 6 May 2020

Hello friends,

We hope that you are staying safe.

In light of government advice in relation to Coronavirus, and in line with other public art galleries, SAW will be closed until further notice. This includes exhibitions, Painting For Fun & Mixing Bowl.

We believe that art speaks to our souls, enriches our lives and supports our mental health. So for some creative sustenance Mixing Bowl will continue a creative weekly blog here.

As of May 2020, we have launched a creative programme (in colloboration with Dwellbeing) which you can engage with during lockdown.

Draws Together is an all-ages challenge to get drawing, imagining our hopes, dreams dreams and aspirations for the future of our gardens, landscape and community. Drawings will be displayed in SAW’s online gallery. Post-lockdown, these drawings will be transformed into a communal artwork.

Cooks join Lydia in weekly cooking demonstrations using those back-of-the-cupboard ingredients of households around Newcastle, providing us all with some culinary inspiration.

Grows a collective growing effort (spearheaded by community group Dwellbeing) to encourage windowsill growing of vegetables, contributing to food security.

Narrates a collective recording of everyday life during lockdown through writing (in any style or language), photographs, audio and video.

We’d love for you to join in, see saw-newcastle.org/covid19-response for how to get involved

Love from,
The SAW Team