By The Lido Wall : A new installation by Kitty McKay at Globe Gallery, North Shields
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A new installation by Kitty McKay at Globe Gallery, North Shields
Curated by Rashida Davison and Kitty McKay
Part of the Threads of Time programme | Supported by Historic England
On view now at Globe Gallery, North Shields
A nostalgic Plasticine reimagining of a lost community landmark
Contemporary artist Kitty McKay unveils her most ambitious project to date with By The Lido Wall, a major new installation at Globe Gallery in North Shields.
Known for her playful and innovative use of Plasticine, McKay transforms the gallery into a vibrant reimagining of the long-lost Hawkeys Lane Lido - once a much-loved community pool that served as a social hub for generations.
Through meticulous craft and community collaboration, McKay reconstructs the Lido in Plasticine, the material invented by William Harbutt, who was himself born in North Shields. The work celebrates both the inventive spirit and creative legacy of the town.
A community collaboration
Developed through conversations and workshops with local residents, By The Lido Wall brings together shared stories, memories and personal mementoes, turning them into colourful sculptural forms. The result is an immersive, sensory experience that blurs the line between art, play and remembrance.
“I wanted to rebuild something that once brought people together - not just physically, but emotionally,” says artist Kitty McKay. “Plasticine is such a nostalgic material. It’s soft, it’s forgiving, and it invites you to take part. That felt right for a piece about memory and belonging.”
Part of North Shields 800
The installation forms part of Globe Gallery’s Threads of Time programme, exploring heritage and identity through contemporary art, and is supported by Historic England.
By The Lido Wall also continues the celebrations of North Shields 800, marking 800 years since the town’s founding and celebrating its past, present and future creativity.
Rashida Davison, Director and Curator at Globe Gallery, adds: “This project reflects what Globe has always stood for - art that connects people, place and time. Kitty’s work is both deeply local and universally human.”
Issued by White Hot Communications. Distributed by WebPR UK.
About White Hot Communications
Notes to Editors Kitty McKay is a contemporary artist based in the North East, celebrated for her inventive use of Plasticine to explore themes of nostalgia, storytelling and community. • Globe Gallery is an independent, artist-led organisation founded in 1995, dedicated to bringing contemporary art to diverse audiences and supporting socially engaged practice. • Threads of Time is a year-long programme supported by Historic England, exploring how art can connect memory, place and heritage across the North East. About the Artist Kitty McKay (b. North East England) is a contemporary artist whose work combines humour, memory and material experimentation. Using Plasticine as her primary medium, she creates tactile, painterly installations that blur the boundaries between sculpture, storytelling and social history. Her practice often engages communities in participatory projects that celebrate shared heritage and everyday creativity. McKay’s work has been exhibited across the UK and is recognised for its playful yet deeply human reflections on nostalgia, place and identity.