A newly established art gallery in South Shields was completely destroyed by vandals just days before its scheduled opening to the public, devastating the artists who had spent six months transforming the space.
Artists Laura Robertson and Theodore Godfrey-Cass had taken over the former Wilko store on Market Place in South Shields town center, with ambitious plans to create a community art gallery called The Market Gallery. The 15,000 square foot venue was designed to provide affordable studio spaces for local artists, host art exhibitions for community enjoyment, and offer workshops for local residents.
The transformation project was made possible through backing from East Street Arts, a charity that provides workspaces and support to young artists across the country. The gallery represented what the artists called "the opportunity of a lifetime."
Laura Robertson, 30, explained how the project came to fruition: "We started on South Shields market as we wanted to get our art out into the community, then after a year of living here, we acquired our own personal studio on Beach Road. We host community workshops out of that, we use it for our own practice and we use it as a place to display our artwork."
After establishing themselves locally, the pair was approached by East Street Arts about the larger opportunity. "It was the opportunity of a lifetime to transform a 15,000 sq ft unit - it felt like we were going to be the future Baltic Art Gallery," Robertson said. "The whole purpose of the space is to create art studios and a gallery space for the local community, in which people have already expressed an interest in."
The Market Gallery was scheduled to open to the public on Thursday, July 31, but disaster struck just days before the grand opening. On Tuesday, July 29, the artists were alerted to a break-in by a friend and arrived to find their months of work completely destroyed.
"We were alerted to the break in by our friend on Tuesday and when we arrived, we discovered that everything was destroyed - I just started crying," Robertson recounted. "I couldn't look at Theo's remaining artwork because I could see that it was covered in urine and the whole place was trashed. It was unimaginable and I couldn't believe what I was seeing - it felt like a bad dream. It has been six months of labor and we can't do that again."
Photographic evidence of the vandalism shows extensive damage throughout the venue. Vandals had spray-painted graffiti across the walls, smashed glass fixtures, destroyed shelves and equipment, and stolen artwork from the premises. The destruction was so thorough that it left the artists questioning whether they could rebuild.
The timing of the attack was particularly devastating as the pair had been preparing to host an international art exhibition for their opening event. Artists from around the world had sent pieces specifically for display in South Shields, making the loss even more significant to the broader art community.
Theodore Godfrey-Cass, who is originally from the United States, expressed both heartbreak and defiance in response to the vandalism. "The charity covers the building rates but everything we've done has been out of our own pockets and time - it is heart-breaking," he said. "I still love South Shields and the North East of England but I don't understand why these people would break into a building."
Despite the devastation, Theodore found an unexpected silver lining in the aftermath. "This has just motivated us even further, the damage has gone viral on TikTok and honestly, my art has never gotten so many views so thank you for ruining our gallery because now everyone has seen my art - that is the only saving grace I can get from this."
The artist was particularly frustrated by what he saw as a missed opportunity for the very demographic that may have been responsible for the vandalism. "It is disgusting behavior that doesn't represent the North East, it just represents kids that are bored. And that's the sad thing because we were hoping to provide these kids with a space to learn some skills and develop a passion."
The incident has left the future of The Market Gallery uncertain. The artists have been unable to provide a new opening date as they work with East Street Arts and the building's landlord to secure the site and assess the full extent of the damage. The financial and emotional toll of rebuilding after six months of preparation presents a significant challenge for the community-focused project.
Northumbria Police have launched a full investigation into the incident and are actively seeking information from the public. A spokesperson for the police force provided details about the timeline of events: "We received a report of burglary at a gallery on Market Place in South Shields which is believed to have taken place between 8pm on Friday, July 25, and 11:30am on Tuesday, July 29."
The police report confirmed the extent of the damage: "It was reported that offenders had gained entry to the building and caused damage to walls and items before removing a number of items and leaving the scene." The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.
"Enquiries into the report are ongoing and anyone with information should send us a DM on social media or use the live chat and report forms on our Force website," the police spokesperson added. "For those unable to make contact via those ways, call 101. Please quote crime reference 086887L/25."
The destruction of The Market Gallery represents more than just property damage - it symbolizes an attack on community development and artistic expression in South Shields. The venue was intended to fill a vital role in the local cultural landscape, providing accessible art education and exhibition space in an area that had lost retail anchor stores like Wilko.
Despite the setback, both artists have indicated their determination to continue their mission of bringing art to the South Shields community. The viral attention the incident has received on social media platforms has ironically brought more visibility to their work and cause than they might have achieved through a traditional gallery opening.
The community can stay updated on The Market Gallery's progress and future plans by visiting their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/northernyinandyang. The artists' resilience in the face of this devastating setback reflects their genuine commitment to enriching their adopted community through art and creative expression.
