This August Bank Holiday weekend, something important is happening in Newcastle. Side Gallery is holding a print sale called 50×50. It is a simple idea with a powerful goal: to raise funds for the future of working-class documentary photography and film.

©Nancy Honey

Side is the only arts organisation in the UK devoted to this work. The sale offers a rare chance to own a piece of this history. Fifty iconic photographers have each contributed one image. These include respected names from the North East, like Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, and internationally recognised artists like Rankin and Sunil Gupta.

©Maria Maza

Every photograph will be available in a limited edition of fifty copies. Each print costs fifty pounds. They are exhibition quality, made to last. All the profits will go directly to the AmberSide Trust. This money will fund the gallery’s community work, care for its significant photographic collection, and ensure people can continue to see these stories.

©Martin Figura

The photographers involved understand the importance of this place. Daniel Meadows calls the AmberSide Collection an “unrivalled archive,” filled with work of international significance created with the people of the North East. Rankin notes that Side hands communities the camera and tells them their lives are worth capturing.

©John Davies

This sale is a direct result of public support. When Side faced closure in 2023, the response was overwhelming. This print sale turns that solidarity into something tangible. As Laura Laffler of the AmberSide Trust says, every £50 print is a vote for keeping this vital resource alive. It is a way to protect these stories for generations to come.

©Gary Calton

The sale opens at Side Gallery in Newcastle from August 22nd to the 25th. The prints will be available online from noon on the 25th.