Sunderland community groups prepare for city music showcase in 2025
Preparations are underway for a major celebration of Sunderland’s people and music.
At the end of April next year, Public Record will be performed by community members alongside well known figures from the city’s music scene, artists and professional dancers.
The performance will take place at The Fire Station and will be produced in collaboration with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland Empire as part of National Theatre Public Acts, a nationwide programme creating extraordinary acts of theatre and community.
Four community groups have already started taking part in weekly creative workshops.
Helen Green, Sunderland Culture’s head of performance, said: “We are really gearing up now to bring all our community groups together in the New Year to start work on Public Record.
“It’s going to be one of the most exciting events in Sunderland in 2025 – a very contemporary and unique tribute to Sunderland’s people and music.”
The project will see The Fire Station turned into a recording studio to make a new album about the city. Each track recorded will reflect an aspect of life in Sunderland, or its proud heritage. There will be music and dancing, karaoke and DJs, a house band and a massive disco ball.
The creative team developing Public Record includes the National Theatre’s director of public acts Emily Lim, Co-Director and choreographer Dan Canham and Sunderland-born musician Ross Millard (The Futureheads).