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21st-century picnicking comes to Gateshead

The last pieces of turf were being laid this week on a massive free picnic site that will open this Saturday on Gateshead Quays.

The MOTHERPLANE, an 85-foot grassed site in the shape of an aeroplane, will be open for ten days for mass picnicking, as part of Picnopolis (Aug 16-25).

Dozens of BABYPLANE inflatable picnic mats will also fly around nine of the best urban picnic spots in Newcastle and Gateshead, before being reunited with the MOTHERPLANE for a picnic contest on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Picnopolis is an event that encourages picnicking in more unusual places in order to highlight the importance of outdoor public space for the quality of life of people living and working in urban areas.

It is the first time that the Japanese art unit, Tokyo Picnic Club, has brought its unique take on picnicking to Europe. The club urges people to fight for their right to picnic and has 15 special rules for picnicking. These include ‘Everyday is picnic day’, picnics are an ‘expression of your lifestyle’ and it is a social activity to which everyone is equal and should contribute - ‘no hosts and guests’.

Hiroshi Ota of Tokyo Picnic Club said: “When I first visited here I was very impressed with the cultural regeneration of Newcastle and Gateshead, its public art and impressive public spaces. It seemed the perfect contemporary setting for people to rediscover and reinvent the art of the picnic for the 21st century. “We cannot wait to learn from local people what they think would be the perfect Geordie picnic.”

For more information about picnic sites, events and activities visit www.NewcastleGateshead.com/picnopolis.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .