Delivered in partnership with No More Nowt in 2024/25, Cultivate Commissions was designed to support creative practitioners to work with and alongside communities in County Durham to increase participation in arts activity, develop creativity and instil pride within communities. The goal of Cultivate Commissions was to bolster creativity in County Durham. Cultivate Commissions Back to Connected Communities Delivered in partnership with No More Nowt, Cultivate Commissions supported creative practitioners to work with communities in County Durham to increase participation in arts activity, develop creativity and instil pride within communities. The goal of Cultivate Commissions was to develop creative growth in the county. 20 artists/arts organisations received a commission. 2273 people directly took part in activity 12,608 people engaged with the project. "This project allowed me to finally build an idea that's been rattling around for a long time! It was a privilege to bring it to life in a bustling shopping centre and engage a diverse cross-section of the community. The unique setting inroduced me to new participants and brodened my understaning of audience engagement in non-traditional art spaces." [Artist] "This project has been my most ambitious participatory project to date...it has provided an opportunity to connect with new community groups and organisations, and to get to know Bishop Auckland through the eyes of its communities." [Artist] Outcomes included: Strengthened networks and partnerships, Increased creative practitioner and community confidence Increased participation in the arts 7 further artist commissions secured and 4 new groups established Next Project Read the full report on Cultivate Commissions here Cultivate Commissions is part of "Into the Light" , a transformative programme of creative, collaborative projects across County Durham. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

n 2024/25 Northern Heartlands delivered Take Part in Teesdale, a Creative Lives Know Your Neighbourhood Project funded by UK Government and Arts Council England. The project used creativity through arts based activity, to build skills, confidence, resilience, and empower participants to connect to the communities they live in.  Take Part in teesdale Back to Health and Wellbeing We delivered Take Part in Teesdale, a Creative Lives Know Your Neighbourhood Project funded by UK Government and Arts Council England. The project used arts activities to build skills, confidence, resilience, and empower participants to connect to the communities where they live. Weekly creative sessions took place in the rural villages of Butterknowle Cockfield, Evenwood, and Woodland. NHS Social Prescribing Link Workers referred local people who were experiencing loneliness, isolation or other wellbeing related needs. Participants could also self-refer. The following artists delivered creative sessions to participants: Alice Byrne, Laura Degnan , Ronan Devlin , Louise Goult , Chloe Hedley, Claire Priestley , Louise Taylo r, Sarah Wilson See the joint publication created by participants and supported by artist Ronan Devlin 27 adults took part in arts activity exploring photography, filmmaking, creative writing and textiles 44 weekly sessions were delivered by 9 different artists  Free transport was provided to widen access A dedicated support worker attended each session This playful and collaborative film was created by participants working with artist Laura Degnan. Participants were invited to see the world in different ways and explore their surroundings with curiosity. Thank you to our generous funders:

Hyem Fest was the final event in Hidden Heritage, a Heritage Fund project exploring the history of Willington in County Durham and encouraging local people to connect with their heritage. hyem fest! Back to Hidden Heritage Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

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Find out about the diverse range of projects we are currently working on throughout South West County Durham! Strategic Partnerships Back to projects Text needed, images and/or logos We Need Your Support Today! Donate

stories and memories from ukraine Back to projects We’re delighted to be hosting ‘Stories and Memories from Ukraine’ on our website. OLEK DEV, based in Kyiv when war broke out back in February 2022, has spent his time recording memories and traditional stories from some of the older generation who have remained in the city throughout the Russian invasion. The project provides a way for Ukrainians here in UK and across the globe to listen to some lovely authentic Ukrainian voices – and for those surviving the turbulence in their own country to share stories from happier times. Here's the link to hear the authentic voices: Memories of Ukraine Here are the verbatim tranlations by Olek: Lyudmila Hryhorivna Galena Fairy Tale Ivasyk Telesyk Elena Vladimirovna Zinaida Pavlovna We Need Your Support Today! Donate

All previous projects completed by Northern Heartlands from 2017 to 2023. Past Projects Back to projects Great Place Scheme Hidden Heritage Bishop Auckland Heritage Plants on the Edge Thriving Communities Turning the Hourglass We Need Your Support Today! Donate

The mission of Place Lab is to use the power of culture and creativity to catalyse change at local level. This place-based activity is boosting cultural participation and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and connectivity within and between communities; empowering communities to actively engage in decisions shaping the future of their places. PlaceLab Back to Connected Communities Next Project PlaceLab is a county-wide programme using the power of culture and creativity to catalyse change at a local level. We are leading PlaceLab in Shildon and Weardale, with a particular focus on work for children and young people in Shildon. From agricultural shows to cavalcades, we are working with people to build confidence and change how they think about their place. 70% of participants reported an increase in cultural participation 84% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that they felt more motivated to do more creative things in the future 93% of partner respondents agreed/strongly agreed that they would like to work with Northern Heartlands in the future During 2024-25, PlaceLab Shildon and Weardale has: supported 860 participants to take part supported 19 groups commissioned 19 artists PlaceLab is part of "Into the Light", a transformative programme of creative, collaborative projects across County Durham. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Find out about opportunities to work with us and volunteer with us. External Evaluator Hidden Heritage and Wellbeing We are delighted to have been awarded funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund for a new project, “Hidden Heritage & Wellbeing”, and we are now seeking an independent evaluator for this project. The project will run from January 2022 to July 2023 and a final monitoring and evaluation report will need to be submitted by August 2023. The project will take place in Willington, County Durham. Key requirements of the role are: An understanding of community heritage and experience of evaluating heritage projects some evidence of understanding health and wellbeing outcomes The fee available for this work is £9,300 (inclusive of VAT and expenses) Deadline for applications is 12.00pm, Monday 14th February 2022 Full details are available here including background information and how to apply. More information We Need Your Support Today! Donate

A project funded by DEFRA through the Farming in Protected Landscapes scheme using arts and creativity to engage Teesdale primary school children with the landscape in Upper Teesdale and the rare and special flora to be found there. Cuthbert's moor Back to Landscape and Environment Cuthbert’s Moor is an area of peatland, heath and grassland habitats that support birds including lapwing, snipe, redshank, curlew and golden plover, short-eared owl and black grouse, all species which are declining nationally due to changes in land use. This site in Teesdale, County Durham lies within the North Pennines National Landscape boundary and is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI). Working in partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust, we engaged an artist to work with a community group and secondary school students to explore environmental challenges and the critical role of peatlands in the UK's ecosystem. 6 Felting sessions with UTASS, Middleton-in-Teesdale and with students from Teesdale School took place with artist Claire Priestley Over 40 Participants explored ideas about the importance of the peat and environmental factors 2 collaborative artworks were created in response by participants using wet felting techniques and needle felt. Artwork was exhibited at Teesdale School in 2024 and at Bowlees Visitor Centre in 2025. Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

A project funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to engage local people in the special flora of Teesdale in County Durham and educate about how we can protect it. Creativity in Crisis Back to past projects BLURB Project Gallery Green Man Project Green Man Project Willington Open Door Church6 Green Man Project 1/16 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Terms of Use I’m a terms of use section. I’m a great place to inform your visitors about the nature of your website and how it may be used by visitors. Add details such the type of information and content you publish, or any additional features like taking online payments or collecting emails for a newsletter. Transparency helps build trust with your website visitors, so take the time to write an accurate and detailed policy. Use straightforward language to gain their trust and make sure they keep coming back to your site! We Need Your Support Today! Donate