Behind the Scenes: We Visited the Ouseburn Festival
Joel Lowson, Director of Tyne for Business behind the scenes filming at the Ouseburn Festival
We just wrapped filming at this year's Ouseburn Festival, and honestly, we're still buzzing (from all the candyfloss) provided by local business, The Find and donut decorating at Deep North.
This year's theme was "YOUseburn Festival," chosen by public competition and designed by a local artist, Bianco Perry, and it felt exactly like that: a festival that belongs to the people who make the valley what it is. We were there all day with performances, pop-up shops, food stalls, face painting, hair braiding, a parade, and (yes) alpacas, capturing as much of it as we could.
Ashleigh spent the day taking in the whole festival footprint, chatting to stallholders and soaking up the atmosphere.
Ashleigh King talking to local entrepreneur, Laura Walvin of Flaura Rose on Lime Street, Ouseburn for the Tyne for Business Podcast.
We caught up with some lovely people along the way, from Ouseburn Trust volunteers marking 30 years of looking after the valley, to independent business owners telling us exactly what the festival means to their shops and their community.
The full episode is still in the edit, so consider this your first look.
Keep an eye out for the full Tyne for Business Ouseburn Festival episode coming on the 24th July and subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you don’t miss it’s release.
Key Takeaways
A milestone year: the festival lands alongside the Ouseburn Trust's 30th anniversary and Ouseburn Farm's 50th.
Free and accessible: over 20 years running, and still one of Newcastle's only entirely free cultural events.
Community over competition: independent businesses use the festival to support one another, not just themselves.
The Ouseburn Festival is a snapshot of what the valley is all about: independents, artists and volunteers all pulling in the same direction to keep the Ouseburn's heart beating. If you missed it this year, put next year's dates in the diary, and in the meantime, get down to the valley and support the people who make it what it is.
Ps. If you have some spare cash, please consider donating to the Ouseburn Trust to keep this event running!
