Cambois, a village in south-east Northumberland on the north-east coast, has established itself as a real arty hub, and throughout October, November and into December they’re hosting Rude Health 2025, a totally unique festival of theatre, dance, film, and more. Why? Because creativity is healthy.

The Tute in Cambois was founded in 2020 by Esther Huss and Alex Oates and it has become a real boon for the north-east. The historic Cambois Mining Welfare Institute holds regular groups for creative writing, dance, children’s play, and art, and this autumn they’re also set to host Rude Health 2025. The festival is following on from the enormous success of last year’s event and, once again, the diverse programme is resplendent with wonderments wherever you look. Among the highlights is sure to be Ajayu Transitorio (3 October) a magical, multicultural live performance inspired by the traditional Day of the Dead celebrations in Bolivia. The performance – featuring Yuvel Soria, a British-Bolivian diasporic dance artist-creator based in Newcastle – weaves together contemporary multicultural dance styles with atmospheric world music and poetry. Unfolding Theatre make big-hearted theatre that delights in bringing people together and their Here Be Dragons is sure to be a big hit with children (4 October). Full of melody and music, join multi-talented maestros on a journey across the marvellous north-east like you’ve never seen it before. Cambois Hidden Depths Revisited (12 October) is a celebration of last year’s historic street theatre events, attended by over 300 people. It will include live performances from actors Christopher Connell and Lucy Elizabeth Davis, a film premiere of ‘The Heave’ by Esther Huss and Meerkat Films, and panel discussions in partnership with Novo Theatre. Hexed! from artists Lucy Suggate and Charlie Ford is informed by The Woman of the North report, which presents a stark and often uncomfortable reality, highlighting the deep-rooted inequalities and challenges disproportionately affecting women in our region (15 November). This will take the form of a performance (think: strange actions and objects gathered together into a peculiar dance), exhibition and social gathering. Stronger Shores is an exhibition that explores the vital role of seagrass, kelp and oysters in protecting and restoring our coastal shoreline (1 & 2 November). Through the lens of visual art, poetry, film and schoolwork, the project invites us to reconsider our relationship with the sea. Following the success of ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ last year, the festival will play host to another great existentialist play in the form of Alistair McDowall’s All Of It (21 November). The piece has been lauded as “genius” by the Guardian and it sees a woman standing alone on stage, verbalising her whole life in 40 frantic minutes. One of the UK’s most accomplished dance and theatre makers Liz Aggiss is celebrated with a programme that takes in ‘Women, Dance and the Sea’ (an evening of film featuring some of the UK’s most influential female dance and filmmakers – 28 November), ‘Crone Alone’ (pictured - Aggiss is the ‘grand dame of anarchic dance’ and this work is a ‘mindfield’ of unexploded ordinance, angst and deviation – 29 November) and ‘Liz Aggiss Mistress Class’ (Aggiss invites you to share her creative approach to performance making – 26 November). From The Sea is a new funny and moving play from Alex Oates that explores what it means to encounter people who come from the sea – something which feels particularly pertinent in today’s climate (5 December). Everything that is taking place at The Tute is free, but booking is essential as spaces are limited. Full details from the website, below.

Rude Health 2025, 3 October-5 December, The Tute, Cambois, thetute.uk