The Biscuit Factory exhibits and sells original paintings, handmade prints, glass, ceramics, textiles, photography, furniture, design led homewares and jewellery. With over 50,000 visitors a year, its focus is on making art accessible and creating a genuine marketplace for artists and makers.

Founded in 2002 in a former Victorian biscuit manufacturing warehouse, the building was converted to its current use ensuring that much of the original character of the building was maintained, creating spectacular exhibition spaces and artist studios to house 25 creative workspaces.

The ethos of the gallery has always been to provide a platform for local and national artists, to support emergent makers, to showcase established artists and to add to the cultural landscape of the region. The huge scale of the gallery means that it is able to display the work of over 250 artists at any time.

The gallery runs a programme of artist-led workshops that allow participants to try their hands at a variety of art and craft techniques. From oil painting to ceramics, contemporary textile design to sculpture, our aim is to provide other income streams for artists who teach these courses, and instil a greater appreciation for art by learning the techniques behind the work.

The Biscuit Factory works with national agencies, arts organisations and initiatives such as Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums and New Light Art Prize. Its charity, The Biscuit Factory Foundation, aims to nurture and develop the careers of emerging artists, while the business also boasts a number of hireable spaces — and the in-house cafe, The Factory Kitchen, is perennially popular for its rooftop terrace.