Latest news with #TheodoreGodfreyCass
BBC News
02-08-2025
- BBC News
Vandals destroy South Shields art gallery days before opening
Two artists have been left "heartbroken" after vandals broke in and destroyed their gallery days before it was set to Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass were set to launch The Market Gallery at a former Wilko store in South Shields, but discovered on Tuesday their hard work had been ruined had been graffitied, studio booths damaged and artwork urinated on, smashed and stolen, with the culprits then posting videos of the attack Robertson said the break-in was "violating to our artistic practice and what we wanted to do for the community". Mr Godfrey-Cass had moved four years of his original art into the gallery, which was destroyed by the trespassers."Honestly, this has shattered my whole emotional figure and I don't know how I'm gonna be able to recover from this mentally," he said, adding he and Ms Robertson were "heartbroken". Ms Robertson said: "I couldn't even make eye contact with it because you could see it had all been thrown around, moved, and, I hate to say it, urinated on."They had used a fire extinguisher on it and it was all damp." When the pair entered the building, they found the attackers had graffitied the building and left online they searched for the tags, they found the criminals had posted videos of themselves destroying the gallery online, the artists said. The videos have been shared with Northumbria Police, which said officers were investigating the burglary, which they believe took place between 20:00 BST on Friday and 11:30 on with information about the break-in is asked to contact the force. Mr Godfrey-Cass and Ms Robertson hope to continue with the gallery but said they need time to assess the had intended to offer art classes for those in the area and wanted to engage widely with the community, but now they believe they may have to rely on the generosity of South Shields if they are to open."I think we are going to need some support," Ms Robertson said, adding: "Whether it be donations of paint or people just having a better professional perspective on what it's going to take to remove the amount of damage that's happened."The Market Gallery plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for some of the repair Godfrey-Cass, who moved to South Shields from Los Angeles, said he had not lost his love for the community despite the destruction of his work."I've been getting so much support and kind words - I'm not going to give up." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
South Shields' former Wilko store to be turned into art studios
A former Wilko store is to be turned into an art gallery and studio in an attempt to give artists an affordable space to vacant retail unit in Market Place, South Shields, has been taken over by Laura Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass, who plan to turn it into a collaborative pair have named the building The Market Gallery and said they hoped it would add to South Tyneside Council's planned regeneration of the town centre, which will see the college relocated Robertson said she wanted the gallery to be part of the new "lease of life that is coming to South Shields". The Market Gallery will include an area to display work as well as studio booths and a larger space, which could be used for dance and musical Godfrey-Cass, who is originally from Los Angeles in the US, said if the centre was a success, they may install more equipment. "My dream is to eventually get screen-printing presses, heat presses, sublimation printers and, hopefully in the long-run, an embroidery machine, so we can teach people skills like how to make their own T-shirts and clothing," he also intends to use the old storefront's large windows as a canvas for seasonal communal paintings to help brighten up the area. The artistic duo were asked to run the gallery by Easy Streets Arts, a charity which works to match artists with empty Robertson said the charity would pay the business rates for the site, allowing The Market Gallery to offer "extremely competitive rates" for its studios. "There's still that barrier for young artists, even old artists, who feel they haven't got the portfolio behind them, haven't got the exhibitions behind them, and feel they have those limitations," she said."We just want to offer those people an opportunity to show South Tyneside what they're made of." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
