Plan to display more of council art collection after figures reveal just 8% of works are on show

Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request has outlined how the local authority's collection of artworks, with a value of at least £780,000, is displayed, stored and viewed.

Although the council has less than a tenth of its art collection on physical display, city leaders say plans are in place to improve public access.

A mixture of the council’s "art objects" are currently displayed at venues across the borough and region.

This includes around 117 artworks in various locations of the South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, as well as artworks on display at the Discovery Museum, Segedunum Roman Fort and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

Around 14 art objects are also on public display at South Shields Town Hall.

Almost all artworks in the council’s collection are available for the public to view online by searching via the Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums website.

According to FOI data provided by South Tyneside Council in December, 2025, only eight per cent of the local authority’s art collection was recorded as "on public display", with 92 per cent "not on display anywhere" and no items on private display, such as non-public areas of the town hall.

The council said the remainder of the art collection not on display is carefully stored, with regular rotations and changes to displays to ensure that as many works as possible can be enjoyed by residents and visitors.

This includes displays in the Art Gallery and Museum spaces which are "regularly changed" as well as the "permanent collection [being] rotated to maximise the number of art works being seen and enjoyed by the public".

It was also noted that "the conservation needs of sensitive works" are taken into account around decisions on public exhibition and that it was "impossible" to put the art collection "all on display at any one time."

Councillor Judith Taylor, cabinet member for culture, leisure and the visitor economy at South Tyneside Council, said that despite "limited exhibition space", the council aims to "maximise opportunities" to display its collection.

“We are proud to care for a diverse and significant art collection, which is managed in line with best practice across the sector," Cllr Taylor added.

“To maximise public access while ensuring the long-term conservation of the collection for future generations, we periodically review and refresh our displays, rotating the collection to showcase a wide range of works.

“Limited exhibition space means that there will always be a significant proportion of the art collection in safe storage at any given time, but we maximise display opportunities by using a range of council buildings and local heritage sites across the borough whenever it is safe to do so and environmental conditions permit.

“We are committed to making our art collection as accessible as possible.

“When pieces are not on physical display, they can still be viewed online via the North East Museums’ collections search and Art UK."

According to recent records, South Tyneside Council's art collection was valued at £0.78 million in March 31, 2025.

As the council’s art collection is "not valued in its entirety", with only items worth more than £10,000 "identified separately", the true value would be a higher figure.

When parts of the art collection are not on physical display, South Tyneside Council has previously encouraged residents to view the artworks digitally.

The local authority also confirmed it had no plans to sell any of its art collection, even in the context of financial budget pressures.

Instead, the council said it was focused on finding new ways to share the borough’s artistic heritage, including through digital access and partnerships with local and regional museums.

Artworks can be accessed through the Tyne and Wear Archives & Museums website at: www.twmuseums.org.uk/collections/collections-search