The Future is Now

Queens Hall Environmental Action Plan

In February 2024, the Board Members of Queen's Hall Arts approved an Environmental Responsibility Action Plan for the organisation in a significant step forward in embracing environmental responsibility.

The Environmental Action Plan outlines actions under four key areas:

- Organisational embedding and capacity development

- Educating, advocating and influencing

- Controlling and reducing environmental impacts

- Monitoring, reporting and evaluating

Through this work, the ambition is for environmental responsibility to become a part of the daily thinking of Queen's Hall Staff, Board Members and Collaborators.

Using the influence of Queen's Hall as a community and cultural leader, this commitment to environmental responsibility should extend to Queen's Hall customers and visitors where possible.

On 21–22 June 2025, Queen’s Hall Arts held the first-ever Future is Now Festival. Welcoming over 750 people, the festival celebrated community spirit, sustainability, and local environmental action.

The programme included talks, workshops, events and the Hexham Net Zero Fair which brought together community groups, local organisations and young people from Hexham Middle School and Hexham Youth Initiative, all who are actively undertaking environmental action within the community.

The variety and expertise that stall holders brought to the event was invaluable, lots of great conversations happened between stall holders and members of the public. There was a great range of stalls including (but not limited to!); Northumberland Peatland Partnership, Tyne River Trust’s interactive water table, Grow Hexham, Northumberland County Council, Environment Agency along with Hexham Middle Schools Young Green Britain pupils who were sharing their wonderful and innovate ideas.

Additionally, workshops and talks were held across the weekend including a popular Marvellous Microbe workshop by Cap-a-Pie Theatre, talks from Humshaugh Net Zero, Mike Domingue and along with a Jean Mending workshop from Green Bee Craft. Our workshop leaders and speakers didn’t just share knowledge, they also sparked curiosity and empowered participants, young and old, to see that small changes can make a big difference.

The Festival also had external collaborators showcasing events in Hexham and across the Tyne Valley. This included the return of the popular On Yer Bike Festival, hosted by On Yer Bike Tynedale and the Tynedale Bicycle Mayor, which saw a designated cycle track in Hexham Town Centre along with music and outdoor stalls.

Hexham's Forum Cinema screened environmental films including The Lorax for families to enjoy and an environmental documentary called Once Upon a Time in a Forest.

Across Tyne Valley, Prudhoe Space for Nature hosted an event in Prudhoe Wildlife Garden and Living Woods hosted a taster session for new volunteers in Horsley Woods.

Here’s a look back at The Future is Now Festival 2025...