10 November 2023
Newsdesk
North East icon and multi-award winning musician Sting was the first ever artist to perform at North Shields cultural venue, The Exchange 1856, following completion of a £1m+ refurbishment programme.
Sting performed a stunning set, featuring songs from his illustrious catalogue to a specially invited crowd, who were there to see him receive the Freedom of the Borough award, the highest accolade any local authority can bestow and is in recognition of his incredible global achievements and advocacy for North Tyneside.
Following a change of operator earlier this year, The Exchange 1856 on Howard Street, North Shields, now open to the public, has undergone extensive renovations, transforming the 167-year-old building back to its former glory and creating a world-class community space offering entertainment, health and wellbeing, culture, food and drink, weddings and business in the heart of North Shields.
Every part of the historic local landmark has been refurbished and improved – from the 500-capacity auditorium with the most technologically advanced lighting, sound and visual systems to newly created conferencing and events spaces for meetings, fitness sessions, dance classes and weddings.
To celebrate its opening, The Exchange 1856 also unveiled its brand-new 2024 programme of events featuring everything from popular music acts to family-friendly performances, pantos and charity gigs. Full details of the 2024 line-up can be found on The Exchange 1856 website.
Paul Stonebanks OBE, the new operator of The Exchange 1856, said: “Seeing Sting perform and honored at The Exchange 1856 was fantastic and an apt event to mark the opening of our amazing venue.
“We’ve had some of the region’s most outstanding craftsman working day and night to transform this beautiful historic building back to its former glory for the benefit of the entire community.
“Significant investment has gone into making The Exchange 1856 a world-class, multi-cultural asset for local people – one that everyone can be incredibly proud of. In the auditorium alone, we’ve installed state-of-the-art sound, lighting and video equipment to make The Exchange 1856 the most technologically advanced venue of its type across the UK.
