By Jenny Dean
Sunderland Music City is being supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver a new project to celebrate and preserve Sunderland’s rich musical heritage.
Mackem Music Memories will capture the stories, memories and experiences of the people who have shaped the city’s musical identity, bringing them together in a major exhibition at Culture House Sunderland in summer 2027.
Shout out your favourite bands, the best live shows you’ve seen in Sunderland, and relive the memories you hold dearest, and you could see your words in person as part of the exhibition, which will feature a programme of community activity, live events, oral history recording, digital archiving and innovative musical heritage trails.
About the project, Michelle Daurat, CEO of Sunderland Music City, said:
“Sunderland’s musical heritage is written in its people. We are delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us to capture those stories before they disappear and to make sure they become part of Sunderland’s permanent heritage.
This project is about much more than looking backwards. It is about understanding where our Music City came from, celebrating the people who made it what it is today, and inspiring the musicians and communities who will shape its future.”
Once the exhibition has closed, it, along with the research, will be incorporated into the Sunderland Local Studies Collection, ensuring that the material becomes part of the city’s permanent historical record.
If anyone would like to share their music memories of Sunderland–whether it be from their childhood, or even recently–the link below will take you to a survey questionnaire to fill out:
