Pirate adventures in South Shields as new display sails in

A new pirate-themed exhibition is set to drop anchor in South Tyneside - just in time for the school holidays.
Tania Robinson, South Tyneside Council head of marketing and culture at the pirate exhibitionTania Robinson, South Tyneside Council head of marketing and culture at the pirate exhibition
Tania Robinson, South Tyneside Council head of marketing and culture at the pirate exhibition

Visitors to The Word, in South Shields Market Place, can expect a treasure trove of delights throughout the display which launches on Thursday.

The exhibition - Shiver Me Timbers - Pirates on Page, Stage and Screen - will pay homeage to the authors who first popularised pirates, including Daniel Defoe who wrote Robinson Crusoe as well as famous stage plays such as Pirates of Penzance and Peter Pan.

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Pirates of the Caribbean will also feature as part of the exhibition which aims to celebrate pirates and their seafaring adventures.

Central to the exhibition will be the front section of a galleon, complete with rigging, and there will also be a treasure island and a canon. Replicas of costumes from famous characters, Long John Silver, Captain Jack Sparrow and Blackbeard will also be on display while youngsters can learn a range of pirate-themed skills.

Deputy Leader with responsibility for leisure and culture, Coun Alan Kerr, said: “With our long and proud seafaring history, this exhibition is entirely relevant to the borough.

“Having a varied programme of exhibitions that all age groups can enjoy is a key factor in the outstanding success The Word continues to enjoy. Opening as it does in time for the half term holiday, I would encourage families and old and young alike to come and see this wonderful exhibition.”

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Three community-based films will be screened in The Pod at The Word put together by local people and schoolchildren supported by dance-theatre company Experiental. They have taken inspiration from swashbuckling adventures and pirate personalities from stage, screen and print to devise their own creative work.

The exhibition has been designed and built by one of the North East’s leading design agencies, Sheridan Design.