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Side: Documents of Working-Class Life

Side is a cultural hub located on Newcastle's historic Quayside, home to the internationally recognised Side Gallery, Side Cinema, and the AmberSide collection - a UNESCO-registered photographic collection and archive documenting working-class life in the North East of England and beyond.

Founded in 1977, Side represents a dynamic intersection of art, activism, and community, dedicated to recording and preserving the experiences of working-class people around the world through artist-led humanist documentary photography and film.

Explore the collection
Images of Youth in Cumbria, early 1990s ©John Rigby

MySide

Show us your side of life

MySide is a brand new documentary photography initiative designed to capture the genuine, unfiltered perspectives of people in our community. The project seeks to create a living archive, preserving the diversity, resilience, and richness of your lived reality. Our first open call out is for images on the theme “Documenting the Self”.

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What's on

Explore more at Side

Side is currently closed

Every donation, no matter how small, will make a huge difference in helping us reopen and continue our mission to share stories that matter from the North East and beyond.

Your donations to the SaveSide campaign enabled us to raise major redevelopment funding to help build a more stable future for Side. Today we are actively working on a variety of activities leading to our reopening.

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Beyond the frame

Explore the people and stories behind our work

Fathers In Focus

Fathers In Focus

June 14th, 2025

Ellen Stone

In Focus

This Father's Day we take a closer look at Peter Fryer's complex and intimate project "Fathers", 1998-2000.
Documenting Appleby Horse Fair

Documenting Appleby Horse Fair

June 6th, 2025

Frances Campbell

Our Curatorial Assistant, Frances Campbell, takes a dive into the collection and explores a series of photographs documenting the Appleby Horse Fair.
Northern Joy: Celebrating the Toon

Interview

Going behind the scenes of Seen.By.Zine with editor Maria Maza and some of the photographers who have taken part in a special issue celebrating NUFC's Cup victory.
Call for Papers: Co-Authored Narratives

Open Calls

Submit your project or research addressing how co-authored film and documentary photography can challenge artistic hierarchies and amplify marginalised and regional voices.