Pink Lane sits on one of the main routes from Central Station into Newcastle city centre. It’s a conservation area with a long history, and today it’s home to a mix of independent businesses, studios and venues.
Over the past few months, new work has started to appear across the street. Murals, hand-painted illustrations and a large-scale overhead installation (pictured left) at the entrance are gradually changing how the lane looks and how people experience it.
Seventeen artists have been commissioned so far, with pieces appearing across the spring and more still to come.
We’ve funded this programme and worked in partnership with NE1, Newcastle City Council, Elements Arts, Vanguard Newcastle CIC and others to make it happen, bringing artists into the street and supporting a set of wider improvements to the public space.
Creating opportunities for artists in the city centre
A significant part of the investment has gone directly to artists and creatives.
£82,500 has been allocated to commissions, supporting artists to develop and install new work across Pink Lane. The pieces are tied to specific locations along the street, responding to the buildings, businesses and the character of the area rather than following a single brief.
Work already in place includes murals and illustrations by Bobzilla, Millie Avis, Van Goth, Cackhanded Kid and AlecLDN, with much of it painted directly onto walls and surfaces.
Further work is planned from MarkOne87 at Newcastle Chinese Christian Church, alongside additional pieces from Sheldo, Toby Heaps, Vanguard Newcastle, Keeper of Kitsune, Ryan Roadkill, Imogen Clarke, Lincoln Lightfoot and Anthony Downie.
Cllr Abdul Samad, Cabinet Member for Culture, Music and Arts at Newcastle City Council, said: “Newcastle’s cultural identity is shining brighter than ever, and we’re seeing a real resurgence in creativity across the city, thanks in no small part to the work of Creative Central NCL and initiatives like this.
“By working in partnership with NE1 and others, we’re helping to position Newcastle as a leading cultural destination and a place where creativity can flourish, and the cultural sector can thrive.
“Pink Lane is a much-loved part of the city, with its own rich history, character and community. By bringing local artists into the project, this initiative is helping to reinvigorate the street’s identity and create a vibrant place that businesses and residents can feel proud of – somewhere people will want to visit, experience and enjoy.”
Adding new elements to Pink Lane
Alongside the artworks, there have been a series of changes to the street itself.
A new overhead gateway installation now marks the entrance from Westgate Road and Neville Street. Led by our partners NE1, the archway has been designed by MawsonKerr Architects and built by Raskl, an art and architecture studio based in Newcastle. It’s one of the most technically complex parts of the programme.
Lighting has been improved, and new wayfinding introduced, helping to make the lane easier to navigate, safer and more inviting to spend time in.
Together, these changes improve the experience of our much-loved Pink Lane and give artists and creatives the chance to celebrate it.
Working in partnership in central Newcastle
This programme on Pink Lane has been delivered through a partnership between Creative Central NCL, NE1 and Newcastle City Council working with Elements Arts and Vanguard Newcastle and Newcastle Arts Centre and PNE, with funding from Newcastle City Council, the North East Combined Authority, and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
This partnership working is an important part of the Creative Central NCL project.
Creative Central NCL is a time-limited programme, so our focus is on investing in the city in a way that others can carry forward. That means working with organisations and businesses who are already an important part of the city, supporting artists with paid opportunities, and contributing to changes that we hope can change the way businesses engage with and work with artists for the long term.
Part of the overall Creative Central NCL programme
Our work on Pink Lane builds on earlier projects including the Forth Lane Urban Gallery delivered in partnership with NE1, Newcastle Arts Centre and PNE. The Forth Lane Urban Gallery started in 2024 and is now in its second phase.
All together this is about trying to enhance the streets of central Newcastle, by embedding artists into the everyday fabric of the city.
Public funding can support this to a point, but it isn’t the whole answer. For this to last, artists need to be part of how spaces are designed, adapted and improved over time, whether that’s a hand-painted sign, a shopfront, a mural, or the way an interior space is developed.
What the Pink Lane partnership begins to show is that working with artists doesn’t have to be a one-off. It can be a practical, everyday option for businesses and organisations who care about creating a vibrant, attractive city centre.
If that becomes more common, it creates a city where artists can build sustained careers, and where the places people spend time in feel more considered, more distinctive and more worth returning to.
We’re continuing to invest in public art and artist commissions across central Newcastle in 2026. If you’re an artist based in the city and interested in future opportunities, you can sign up to the newsletter in the footer, below.