New £11m cultural venue appoints Director

Current Head of Contemporary Music at Sage in Gateshead TAMSIN AUSTIN is joining Sunderland Culture’s newest venue The Fire Station as its Director. She was a founding member of the senior management team at Sage Gateshead, where she led on contemporary music for 17 years.

The auditorium is part of the wider Fire Station development, supported by Sunderland City Council, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has transformed an Edwardian fire station into an artistic and cultural hub. Last month it was announced the venue had been granted £1.38m from the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to help reduce the impact of Covid-19.