About us

Our mission is to welcome and connect people to the past, present and future of the North East through stories, shared spaces and experiences.

We will help people understand and act on local and global challenges: 

• Equality – we will provide a warm welcome to everyone, break down barriers caused by inequality and discrimination and share diverse stories.  
• Wellbeing – we will use our spaces and services to support people’s physical and mental health.  
• Social mobility – we will deliver learning experiences, volunteering opportunities and pathways for personal development for people of all ages and backgrounds.  
• Climate – we will raise awareness about the environment and encourage people to act for a sustainable future.  
• Place – we will celebrate North East England, inspire local pride and use our resources to support research, innovation and economic regeneration. 

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums (TWAM) is a regional museum, art gallery and archives service. We manage nine museums and galleries across Tyneside and the Archives for Tyne and Wear.

We are supported by the four local authorities in Tyneside and Newcastle University. TWAM is also a National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England.

We hold collections of international importance in archives, art, science and technology, archaeology, military and social history, fashion and natural sciences.

We deliver a number of regional programmes including:

• The Museum Development programme - a comprehensive, effective and collaborative response to the needs of museums in the North East and the communities they serve
• A regional cultural learning service - focusing on supporting the network of Local Cultural Education Partnerships, and building links with the Youth Work sector and the health sector
• The North East Family Arts Network - supporting cultural organisations in the North East to provide high quality and inclusive experiences for families
• Environmental Information Records Centre - a partnership of wildlife recorders, statutory bodies, local authorities and wildlife trusts working together to collate environmental data which is used to inform nature conservation
• The Northumberland and Tyne and Wear elements of the national Portable Antiquities Scheme on behalf of the British Museum.