A North East university is working with Sunderland City Council to explore new locations for the National Glass Centre.

The centre has been owned by the University of Sunderland since 2010 and is also home to the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art (NGCA) and the university’s glass and ceramics academic programmes.

Recently, the university has needed to carry out works to address structural-related issues in the NGC, including the closure of public access to the roof.

Now, following a specialist external review, it has been revealed that a multi-million pound investment would be needed to address the issues if the centre stayed at its current Riverside location.

Read more: Pictures show where STACK could be in Middlesbrough

As a result, the university’s board of governors has decided that the best way forward is to find an alternative location, or locations, for the NGC.

Currently, the university is exploring a number of options which would put a reimagined National Glass Centre in Sunderland.

The reimagining could result in the NGC reaching new and larger audiences.

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor and chief executive, said: “The university is committed, as far as it is practically possible and viable, to maintaining within the city the exhibition and display of glass art, alongside academic work in glass and ceramics.

“As well as undertaking internal review work on these matters, we are also in active discussion with Sunderland City Council about alternative locations for the activities currently undertaken within the NGC and NGCA.

“Hopefully, we will have more details to share in the coming months.

Read next:

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here

“I recognise this is an uncertain time for staff and students based at the NGC, but we need to act now, given that the University is not in a position to spend the millions of pounds required to secure the longer-term future of the current NGC building.”

Councillor Linda Williams, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for vibrant city, said: “Across the city we have an excellent cultural and heritage offer, and really strong partnerships through which to continue to grow and develop that offer. Plans for Culture House are beginning to take shape - an exciting major new investment now underway at the heart of the city for residents and visitors alike.

We are working closely with the University to explore whether becoming part of Culture House provides the best opportunity for the next generation of the much-loved National Glass Centre – one of our key cultural assets - to continue to grow and thrive in Sunderland for generations to come.