Member Article

Toffee Factory lights up giant ‘glowstick chimney’

Toffee Factory, as one of the newest venues to join in The Late Shows, will turn its distinctive 30 metre high chimney into a giant glowstick, the symbol of Newcastle and Gateshead’s after hours culture crawl.

Lisa Tolan of Creative Space Management, centre manager of the Toffee Factory, test lights the chimney to raise awareness of The Late Shows’ events taking place in Newcastle and Gateshead on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May 2012. The weekend forms part of the international ‘Museums at Night’ events_,_ in which museums and cultural venues are open late and free for the public, take place across the UK that weekend and also across Europe.

As well as co-ordinating its distinctive lighting displays, Toffee Factory will invite visitors to join their vintage tea party. Lady Koo and the Kooky Kitchen will provide the music and short guided tours will be laid on to give the history and redevelopment of Newcastle’s newest creative and digital hub. Entry is free and tours will be on the hour.

Lisa Tolan, Centre Manager of Toffee Factory, for Creative Space Management said:

“Toffee Factory has amazing lighting and looks stunning at night, and what better way than turning our chimney into a giant glowstick to raise awareness of Newcastle and Gateshead’s late night culture event, The Late Shows. Visitors will be able to take a guided tour to find out about the redevelopment of the former Maynards factory, see the amazing views from our building’s roof terrace and listen to music at our Vintage Tea Party.“

Bill Griffiths, Project Manager of the Late Shows added:

“This year we have more venues taking part in The Late Shows than ever before and we are delighted to have the Toffee Factory on board for the very first time. This is the first time that The Late Shows logo has been projected onto a building on such a large scale and I’m sure it will attract many visitors to what promises to be a very exciting event.“

Toffee Factory provides creative and digital studio space for growing businesses. Its contemporary office spaces, which opened in December 2011 in the refurbished Maynards Toffee Factory located at the mouth of the Ouseburn Valley, is now home to twenty creative businesses. The refurbishment of the old Victorian factory was led by xsite architecture, an Ouseburn-based practice. It has produced a blend of bold design and exposed brickwork and has already scooped a number of architectural and design awards, including Project of the Year, Regeneration and highly commended in Design and Innovation and Commercial categories in the North East RICs awards and shortlisted in the RIBA North awards.

Toffee Factory builds upon the Ouseburn Valley’s existing ecology of creative businesses and is a gateway development that connects the valley to the cultural regeneration of Quayside.

The mouth of the Ouseburn has always been a site of free trade and enterprise in Newcastle. The building was first erected by Newcastle City Council in 1864, truncating the Victoria Tunnel, which had been closed in 1860. It became a Toffee Factory in 1895, owned by John Vose who sold out to Maynards in 1904. The business operated until the mid-1960s, following which it gradually fell in to disrepair. When the work began on Toffee Factory, the original structure was on the point of collapse.

The Toffee Factory will be open during the Late Shows 7-11pm Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May, with free guided tours and a Vintage Tea Party with music from Lady Koo and the Kooky Kitchen. The Late Shows (www.thelateshows.org.uk) is the UK’s largest and most established event delivered as part the international ‘Museums at Night’ festival_,_ which takes place across Europe.

The Toffee Factory is located Lower Steenbergs Yard, Quayside, Ouseburn, Newcastle NE1 2DF, enter opposite the Tyne Bar Pub. For more information the Toffee Factory see www.toffeefactory.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Cait Read .