Capturing the Spirit of GIFT 2013: A Videographer in Gateshead’s Vibrant Theatre Scene
I’ve just finished editing my video documenting the Gateshead International Festival of Theatre (GIFT) 2013, and I’m still buzzing with the energy that pulsed through Gateshead over the May bank holiday weekend.
As a videographer in Gateshead, I’m always seeking opportunities to capture powerful moments of creativity and community. Filming GIFT has been exactly that.
From 3rd to 5th May, GIFT transformed Gateshead into a hub for experimental performance, international dialogue, and artistic risk-taking. As someone working as a videographer in Gateshead and Newcastle, it’s been incredible to witness how much the festival has grown in just three years—from an ambitious idea to a vibrant, international event drawing artists and audiences from across the UK, Europe, and as far afield as South Africa.
This year’s festival offered an even broader range of performance than before. My video captures moments from a dynamic programme that included dance pieces, intimate theatre works, interventions in everyday spaces like the Gateshead Interchange metro station, durational performances, and late-night happenings in local pubs. One minute you’d find yourself swept up in an intense one-to-one performance; the next, you’d be amidst projections lighting up buildings slated for demolition, as artists responded directly to the shifting urban landscape of Gateshead.
What struck me most, filming across the weekend, was how GIFT 2013 pushed boundaries—not only in terms of artforms, but also in fostering conversations between artists and audiences. As one of the artists shared in an interview:
“There’s so many performances happening, so many workshops, discussions—it’s like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam! That kind of energy gets people excited about performance, making it, seeing it, talking about it.”
A key theme running through this year’s festival was professional development for artists. GIFT hosted a series of workshops aimed at helping emerging artists hone their practice and expand their networks. Many of the artists I filmed were coming straight out of these sessions, glowing with new ideas and potential collaborations.
Crucially, GIFT isn’t just for artists. It’s also about growing audiences and breaking down barriers between performers and the public. Audiences at GIFT are a brilliant mix—local theatre enthusiasts, curious passers-by drawn into site-specific works, and people entirely new to contemporary performance. One artist described the festival beautifully:
“It provides a moment of contact between people at various stages of their careers, works that are at various stages. It becomes this insane, awesome, and beautiful mishmash of people and styles and things. It’s really inspiring and reinvigorating.”
The sense of openness and goodwill was tangible everywhere I filmed. There’s a belief here that experimental performance shouldn’t be an exclusive club—it should be part of everyday life, happening in spaces where people live, work, and socialise. As one artist reflected:
“It’s great. It’s breaking down the idea of a theatre community and opening it up to the wider public. You don’t have another festival like this in the North East.”
GIFT’s commitment to Gateshead itself has deepened each year. Several artists told me how much they appreciated the chance to stay locally, getting a real feel for the place. The festival’s ‘Presents’ commissions, which began last year, continued in 2013, inviting artists to create site-specific interventions around the town centre. It’s been fascinating filming how these pieces not only animate the cityscape but also spark conversations with people who might never set foot in a traditional theatre.
For me, filming GIFT 2013 has reinforced how special this festival is—not just as a showcase of cutting-edge performance, but as a catalyst for new ideas, collaborations, and a reimagining of what theatre can be. One participant captured the hope that so many share:
“In 20 years’ time, Gateshead International Festival of Theatre will be the biggest festival in the North East, full of major international players wanting to perform here. That will be because they started something really beautiful right from the beginning.”
I’m grateful to have captured a glimpse of these early days.
Here’s to many more years of GIFT, and to Gateshead continuing to surprise and inspire us all.
If you’d like to explore more of my work around theatre, you can see films here: https://alanfentiman.co.uk/vimeo-videos/theatre-films/
If you’d like to watch more of my work exploring community stories, creative resilience, and diverse subjects across arts, heritage, and the environment, you can explore all my films here: https://alanfentiman.co.uk/films-by-alan-fentiman/