A Heritage Fund project exploring the history of Willington in County Durham and encouraging local people to connect with their heritage. Hidden Heritage and wellbeing Back to Past Projects Hyem Fest! Over the course of a year spanning 2022-23, we worked with the community in the former mining town of Willington – building on our previous event The Man Engine – helping schools, community groups and care home residents explore the story of their town from medieval times to the present day. The whole project culminated in an exciting event on the Town Green and we’re delighted to say that the information gathered from feedback indicated that wellbeing increased for those who take part, as well as a wider group of people inspired by heritage. We started with 70 volunteers helping to celebrate the beacon lighting as part of the Platinum Jubilee back in June 2022 and ended with Hyem Fest! in July 2023. Read the Hidden Heritage & Wellbeing report by University of Birmingham here Visit the website dedicated to Hidden Heritage here . Hidden Heritage and Hyem Fest! Play Video Play Video 03:16 Time Detectives The "Time Detectives" took the children of 5 primary schools in Willington and surround area on a whistle-stop tour through history to help the Detectives find their way back to the rightful place in time in the distant future. On the way, the children discovered more about where they live and what it means to them. Play Video Play Video 02:25 Pathways through Time - Print Workshop As part of our Hidden Heritage & Wellbeing project in Willington, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we hosted a series of print workshops with professional Artist, Sara Cox. Participants were encouraged to think about the journeys they take in the place where they live then represent these using simple printing techniques onto a canvas bag. The process gave an opportunity for participants to consider their place from a different perspective, thinking about what's important or meaningful about it and how it makes them feel. Play Video Play Video 02:59 Pathways through Time - Animation As part of our Hidden Heritage & Wellbeing project in Willington, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we hosted a series of animation workshops with professional Artist, Sherly Jenkins. Participants were encouraged and supported to think about their place and its heritage, and the effect of both on their wellbeing, using story-telling through animation to express their thoughts and ideas. Play Video Play Video 02:27 Getting Ready for the Hyem Fest! Parade Hear all about what the primary school children in Willington and surrounding villages have been doing to prepare for the Hyem Fest! parade on Saturday, 15th July in Willington. Play Video Play Video 05:47 Hyem Fest! Turtley Willington Hyem Fest! in Willington on Saturday, 15th July 2023. Despite unpredictable weather (it rained a lot!!), "Turtley Willy" received a warm welcome from the people of Willington on the Town Green and had a fantastic time in the parade with the Time Detectives, school children from Hunwick Primary, Our Lady & St Thomas' Primary, St Stephen's Primary, Sunnybrow Primary and Willington Primary, community members, dancers from the Sandra Welsh School of Dance and New Brancepeth Revellers. The Time Detectives Time Detective Jo in action Crowd at Hyem Fest The Time Detectives 1/13 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

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

A discrete one-year arts project forming part of Tees-Swale:Naturally Connected, a major £8.5m nature recovery programme Creatively Connected Back to Landscape & Environment Next Project We are the Creative Producer for Creatively Connected - a programme exploring high nature value farming through artistic enquiry. The programme is part of Tees-Swale:Naturally Connected, a 5-year nature recovery programme managed by North Pennines National Landscape and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. bringing farmers, residents, landowners, ecologists, conservationists together through creative enquiry exploring challenging concepts, combining different perspectives and amplifying nature recovery activity. evidencing the value of arts and artists in non-arts settings culminating in a dynamic knowledge-sharing event in September 2025 © Matt Denham The Creatively Connected Team The Creatively Connected project has commissioned 5 artists (two working together) to develop a process of creative enquiry in response to the issues of nature recovery and high nature value farming. This project includes engagement with community and farmers, with each artist responding to a particular area of focus within the context of nature recovery. The artists are working individually but also sharing approaches to their work throughtout the project. Select an image below to find out more about each artist. John Coburn Artist (working with Tim Shaw) Tim Shaw Artist (working with John Coburn) Matt Denham Artist Azadeh Fatehrad Artist Laura Harrington Artist John and Tim are working in Swaledale. They have been meeting with fell runners, cyclists, cavers, farmers and many others. They are carrying out creative sonic activity to capture sounds along the footpaths, underground and up above that can help us understand more about the weather, climate and the state of nature in the area. The sound walks, listening activities and streaming act as a provocation for further community response, engagement and input. Matt is developing a rich, multi-layered creative project rooted in the concept of assemblage, inspired by the Teesdale Assemblage and the complexities of High Nature Value Farming (HNVF) practices. His approach—gathering diverse media (notes, photos, film, sound) and engaging with a wide range of local voices (farmers, botanists, volunteers, the Fitzhugh Library, and the Tees-Swale team)—uses a collaborative, and place-based methodology. Azadeh is working across Teesdale and Swaledale exploring the idea of ‘psychogeography’- how the landscape is perceived, experienced and understood by people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Azadeh has met with many farmers, community groups, volunteers and team members. Her approach to the work is led by those she encounters and to work organically with them. Azadeh has captured 24 stories to date and created a map work of these to help develop the project further. Azadeh is also working with the Tees-Swale team to film using drones. Laura is working primarily in Teesdale and has also met with colleagues in Swaledale including ecologists, farmers, and Tees-Swale team members. Laura is exploring the complexities and scale of this project and is looking at this through the lens of fibres in wool. Fibres of the wool are embedded structures and can help us understand the peatland, wetlands, plants and practices. This may lead to a series of activities and sessions which may help develop garments of some kind which can be shared/exhibited. Thank you to our partners and generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Northern Heartlands is a community arts organisation based in south west County Durham. We work with the rural and isolated communities of Teesdale and Weardale, and in the towns and villages of the former Durham coalfields around Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Crook, Willington and Tow Law. We believe in the creative power of communities to bring about change. From Shildon to… New York! Award‑winning theatre maker Victoria Melody has arrived in Shildon as Artist in Residence for PLACE Lab Shildon — a 10‑month creative programme working with young people to explore heritage and imagine future possibilities. As part of her residency, Vic will perform her acclaimed touring show Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak at SHILDON CIVIC HALL on SUNDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY, 7.00pm ahead of its transfer to New York. A post‑show Q&A offers another chance to meet Vic and join the conversation. Directed by comedy legend Mark Thomas , the show celebrates communities and the ordinary people still shaping history. Blending storytelling, performance and documentary theatre, Vic shares stories you rarely hear — told with warmth, honesty and bite. BOOK YOUR TICKET HERE Our Mission Current Projects Our work is made possible by: Our vision is for strong, connected, and healthy local communities, where people are actively involved in shaping their lives and their environment Support Us And help our communities Donate Now Community member "Thank you for making this fab event happen."

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:

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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

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

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

Podcast Brianna & Madison Hosting Inspiring Women

Originally run by Northern Heartlands as The Four Clocks Project and now called Bishop Busy Hands, this 2 year+ project supports adults in Bishop Auckland to feel more connected and have improved mental health and wellbeing through arts and creative activity. creative health in bishop auckland Back to Health and Wellbeing Next Project Originally led by Northern Heartlands, The Four Clocks Project, now called Bishop Busy Hands, was a 2 year+ project supporting adults in Bishop Auckland to feel more connected and have improved mental health and wellbeing through arts and creative activity. Northern Heartlands worked in partnership with local Housing Associations, Social Prescribing Link Workers, Artists and Health providers to make this project happen. In 2024 we supported participants to become a constituted self-led group and move to its current location at Bishop Auckland Town Hall where it continues to thrive. Evaluation through Believe Housing’s HACT tool showed that the social return on investment for this project costing £9,400 was valued at £122,386 (a return of 1:14). To find out more about Bishop Busy Hands or to take part in sessions, please visit their Facebook page here: Facebook or contact bishopbusyhands@gmail.com As part of our weekly social prescribing programme at Four Clocks, professional animator, Sheryl Jenkins, helped the group to produce a short film using characters and drawings created by them to articulate how much the sessions had come to mean to them. Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Find out about opportunities to work with us and volunteer with us. External Evaluator Teesdale Special Flora - Plants on the Edge Teesdale Special Flora Trust is offering the opportunity to tender for the external evaluation of its project ‘Plants On The Edge’ funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The external evaluator will liaise closely with project partners and project officers and will report periodically to the Teesdale Special Flora Steering Group. The evaluator will assess the impact of the project against the following outcomes: A wider range of people will be involved in nature Heritage will be in a better condition Heritage will be identified and better explained People will have developed skills People will have learnt about heritage, leading to change in ideas and actions A fee of £9000 is available inclusive of VAT and expenses. Closing date for applications is 12.00 pm, Monday 14th February 2022 A full brief including how to apply is available here . More information We Need Your Support Today! Donate