National Glass Centre

National Glass Centre (NGC) is an iconic free cultural attraction situated on the banks of the River Wear owned by the University of Sunderland. NGC celebrates the origins, growth and the rich history of glass making in Sunderland. Visitors can enjoy an international exhibitions programme, presenting work of leading contemporary artists in glass & ceramics, as well as 1-2-1 Glass Blowing experiences, family activities, craft classes, shop, café and free daily glass blowing demonstrations.

https://sunderlandculture.org.uk/our-venues/national-glass-centre/
https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/

National Glass Centre (NGC) has been open to visitors for 21 years and has just had a high-profile year of celebration. The building is owned by the University of Sunderland and has been operated since September 2017 by Sunderland Culture, an independent charity set up to manage venues across Wearside and build Sunderland’s growing reputation as a cultural city.

Visitors can do everything from learn about the history of glass within its heritage gallery, view contemporary exhibitions by international artists as well as having a hands on glass experience.

Free daily glass blowing demonstrations allow visitors to learn about and watch glass being made within in a working hot glass studio.

The centre runs an extensive adults, families and schools programme which sees activity throughout the year.

Visitors can enjoy browsing the shop, containing products made by local artists and crafters as well as enjoy lunch with panoramic views in The Glass Yard café

The recent addition of the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) brings a new contemporary art gallery to the Centre’s visitor offering. NGCA was one of the first contemporary art galleries in the UK, and have recently, alongside National Glass Centre, began a new collection of contemporary art for the city of Sunderland.

The Centre also houses the University of Sunderland’s Glass and Ceramics degree courses, allowing student’s access to work with some of the world’s biggest contemporary artists.