36

‘36’ is a hand-printed concertina style artists book printed using an Adana press. The concertina, or leporello, format invites both intimacy and expansion, making it the perfect structure for a project that weaves together place, history, and imagination.

The book pairs linocut illustrations of the Ouseburn Valley with letterpress-printed text inspired by the ideas of Thomas Spence, the 18th-century Newcastle-born reformer and utopian thinker. Spence’s vision of shared land and community empowerment provide a thoughtful counterpoint to the visual journey.

Each panel of the leporello unfolds like a walk through Ouseburn itself — revealing layers of industrial heritage, activism, creativity, and community spirit. The prints capture not only the physical contours of the valley but also the character of the people who have shaped it into one of Newcastle’s most distinctive cultural quarters.

Among those figures is Mike Mould, who bought the Cluny Warehouse in 1982, later to become Ouseburn Warehouse Studios and Workshops, 36 Lime Street. Over a pint in the pub, an idea took root: to create affordable workspaces for artists and artisans. His vision helped anchor the creative community that continues to define Ouseburn today.

This artist’s book celebrates both the landscape and the people who have given the valley its unique identity.