What are You Looking for?

BySam Allcock
October 24, 2025

Fresh Murals Bring New Life to Newcastle’s Forth Lane and Pink Lane

New public artworks have been unveiled across Newcastle city centre, continuing Creative Central NCL’s mission to celebrate local creativity and culture at the heart of the city.

Delivered by Creative Central NCL in partnership with Newcastle Arts Centre, Project North East, NE1, and Newcastle City Council, the Forth Lane Urban Gallery first opened in October 2024. A year later, it remains inspired by the theme Pleasure Garden — reflecting the lane’s historical connection to The Forth, once a popular green retreat for the city’s residents.

The latest additions include striking new murals by artists Bex Masters, Bethan Harris, and MarkOne87, created in collaboration with residents of Tyneside Foyer, as well as a piece by Josie Brookes developed with students from Newcastle College.

Around the corner, Pink Lane has also gained its first new artworks, featuring hand-painted murals by ALECLDN (Alec Saunders) and Millie Avis, drawing inspiration from the area’s independent spirit and vibrant cultural venues.

Together, these new pieces build on Newcastle’s growing network of public art, infusing colour and creativity into two of the city’s most characterful historic streets.

Bex Masters, a gilder and oil painter, has created Kundalini, a mural exploring reflection and renewal through ideas of feminine energy and transformation. Bex said: “Inspired by my multicultural upbringing and heritage, this mural explores the concept of a Pleasure Garden through the eyes and hands of a person of colour.”

Bethan Harris, an artist known for her expressive use of colour, brings her intuitive mark-making and emotional connection with landscape to the lane. Bethan said: “My inspiration began with the landscapes of Northumberland, which have always been a source of creativity for me. There’s a raw, untamed beauty there that speaks to a more instinctive, sensory connection with nature.”

Returning artist MarkOne87 collaborated with residents of Tyneside Foyer to produce a new piece exploring the, sometimes lost, natural human tendency to connect with nature and the importance of green spaces as a haven, while Josie Brookes, working with students from Newcastle College, guided a collaborative design process celebrating young artists’ voices and the importance of shared creative spaces.

Over on Pink Lane ALECLDN and Millie Avis have created murals that act as creative wayfinding, connecting cultural venues such as Newcastle Arts Centre, The Black Swan, Tyne Theatre & Opera House and NX through playful, small-scale designs.

The pieces appear across facades, gates and shopfronts as part of wider plans to introduce more public art and creative interventions in the area throughout the coming months.

Cllr Abdul Samad, Cabinet Member for Culture, Music and Arts at Newcastle City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see artists continuing to shape and enrich our city centre. Projects like this bring people together and show the value of art and creativity in making Newcastle’s public spaces welcoming and distinctive.”

The Forth Lane and Pink Lane commissions form part of Creative Central NCL, a five-year project funded by the North East Combined Authority, Newcastle City Council and part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, investing £1.7 million to support artists and creative businesses in central Newcastle.
BySam Allcock
Updated on

Read Next

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *