Hexham Forum (Queen's Hall Arts Centre)

The Queen's Hall Arts Centre on Beaumont Street is Hexham's main venue for live performance, cinema and visual arts. Housed in a handsome Victorian civic building opposite the abbey, it brings together a theatre and cinema auditorium, gallery spaces, a library and a café under one roof, making it the cultural hub of the Tyne Valley.

Programming spans touring drama, dance, folk and classical music, comedy, family shows and independent film screenings, with a strong emphasis on Northumbrian and North East artists. The gallery hosts a rolling programme of exhibitions by contemporary painters, printmakers and photographers, often drawn from the region. Workshops, talks and open studios run alongside the main programme, and the building is regularly used by local choirs, orchestras and community groups.

The setting is one of the pleasures of a visit: the Queen's Hall stands on Beaumont Street looking directly across to Hexham Abbey and the Sele park, so a show or exhibition combines easily with a walk around the abbey grounds, the market place and the town's independent shops. For anyone travelling the 688 bus route, which terminates in central Hexham, it's a natural stop before heading up the Allen valley.