Pride in Teesdale was a programme of arts events and activities bringing communities together to celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture and diversity and to increase representation and visibility in deeply rural communities across Teesdale. Northern Heartlands partnered with YMCA Teesdale, Curious Arts, TCR Hub, The Bowes Museum and The Witham Pride in Teesdale Back to Connected Communities In 2024/25 we worked in partnership to deliver Pride in Teesdale. The programme of arts events and activities brought communities together to celebrate LGBTQIA+ culture and diversity and increase visibility in deeply rural communities across Teesdale. The programme was led by YMCA Teesdale and included Curious Arts, Northern Heartlands, TCR Hub, The Bowes Museum and The Witham. 837 attendees engagaged in activities including ceilidhs, an exhibition, creative workshops and a film programme 14 events were delivered across 6 community and cultural venues in Teesdale The programme included 2 development and training events for artists and cultural/community sector workers The programme suppported the development of a new partnership Next Project Thank you to our partners and funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

View current contract opportunities for Artists to work on projects supporting communities in South West County Durham. Artist Call Outs We have no open opportunities to work with us just now. Keep checking this space and follow us on our socials to hear about any upcoming opportunities. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

A project exploring how social prescribing and the Arts can work together to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities. Funded by the National Academy for Social Prescribing. health & wellbeing Back to projects We have seen at first hand the very real benefits of creative social prescribing – working with professional creative practitioners to deliver supported free sessions for a whole range of people living with loneliness, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. Read here about our past and current projects that are using arts and artists to deliver some amazing health and wellbeing outcomes… Bishop Auckland I:D Project Take Part in Teesdale We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Meet the Northern Heartlands team and our dedicated board who are passionate about the work we do. The Team Jill Cole Director Katy Milne Senior M anager Lyndsey Middleton Creative Communities Coordinator Jayne Bradley Office and Systems Manager The Board Graham Young Chair Jane Hartley Trustee Tony Harrington Trustee Amanda Tutin Trustee Ben Tinkler Trustee Lucy Jenkins Trustee 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. BUDDING BOTANISTS Back to Landscape and Environment We engaged 2 photographers and a sound artist to work with primary school children, their families and the Teesdale Special Flora Trust. The project explored the rare and unique flora of Upper Teesdale – The Teesdale Assemblage – to understand the environmental factors and challenges affecting its existence. Artists: Louise Taylor , Nat Wilkins , David de la Haye Next Project Over 80 school children across 4 Teesdale Primary Schools took part in site visits to Cow Green reservoir, photography and sound workshops The project culminated in ‘Fabulous Flora!’, an exhibition of students’ creative responses, at The Witham, Barnard Castle. Artwork included photography, sound compositions, cyanotype prints and zines making (small magazines) Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Setting the Scene is part of the Creative Catalysts project taking part in Witton Park and Coundon between June and September 2024. Setting The Scene Back to Connected Communities Setting The Scene, aimed to encourage participation, the expression of ideas and ignite curiosity. Artists Ronan Devlin and Dominic Smith worked in collaboration within the community to creatively test ideas and explore how local networks can support and define the present and future identities of these communities. By co-creating a programme featuring audio material, newspaper spreads, walks and local events, the project highlighted and helped connect the unique qualities and creativity of the people of Coundon and Witton Park. Click the book to read the final report for Setting the Scene Click the book to add your details to the Northern Heartlands Creative Directory 10 workshops, walks and eventswere delivered to engage communities, 2 final events at local community centres engaged local musicians and children to play, providing space for celebration and community interaction The project culminated in distributing approximately 4000 newspapers throughout Coundon and Witton Park, containing images from community workshops, QR codes linked to audio stories, and reflections from community members Click the headphones to listen to the audio pieces that were created for each page of the newspaper Click the image to see some of the creative activity that took place in Setting the Scene Click the image to read Setting the Scene newspaper Thank you to our generous funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Find out about work and training opportunities as well as connect with the County Durham Artists Network. Artists' Space Click on one of the options below to see resources and opportunities for Artists! Training Opportunities Artist Call Outs Resources See creations from previous workshops in the gallery below! 1/15 We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Find out about the diverse range of projects we are currently working on throughout South West County Durham! Health and Wellbeing Landscape and Environment Connected Communities Past Projects Projects We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Northern Heartlands’ Landscape & Environment strand celebrates the rich natural heritage of south-west County Durham, connecting communities with their surroundings through creative collaboration Landscape and Environment Back to projects Budding Botanists Creatively Connected Cuthbert's Moor 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

Find out about the difference we make to communities in South West County Durham, what the Arts can offer and why our work is important. The Difference We Make "I felt like I was really part of something very special." FOR INDIVIDUALS We know that taking part in creative activities can improve people's confidence and wellbeing. Evaluation of our 2021-2 Thriving Communities wellbeing programme found statistically significant improvements in participants' life satisfaction and sense of doing worthwhile activities. Read the full evaluation report (2022). Participants in our projects often tell us they feel more confident and happier. People with chronic mental and physical health conditions tell us the activities can help to improve their quality of life. "The group is more family than friends. I feel more confident and fulfilled, and have something to take my mind to a happy safe place. Something I want to get out of bed for." Creativity in Crisis participant feedback (2020). IN COMMUNITIES Our staff and board are all local to this area and care about it passionately. We listen to people and work with them to create the culture they feel is important, which has been everything from a Christmas tree to an opera about regeneration. As well as performances, events and installations, our projects have supported people to start their own choirs, gardening projects and community groups. We also support the local economy by employing local artists, businesses, community groups and venues. Watch a film about our work in Dene Valley (2021) People tell us the creative activities make them feel differently about where they live: "It was lovely seeing the community engaging in a positive way. It was also evident that the local people share a real passion for the area." More Than Viable participant feedback (2019) FOR ARTISTS Participatory and community-led creative practice requires skill, technique and experience. We value the amazing artists and creatives we work with, and aim to support emerging artists, giving people opportunities so they can make a living in this rural area. We work with local artists as much as possible, we pay Artists' Union recommended rates, and we provide training and networking opportunities to help build careers. Watch a conversation between participatory artists about so-called 'hard to reach' communities (2020) "[The training] helped clarify my thoughts about my work and express myself more clearly. It introduced new ideas about how to price applications and who I could apply to." Artists' Training & Development Network, participant feedback (2021) WORKING FOR CHANGE We know that change doesn't just happen from the grassroots, and that many of the issues people face are due to policy decisions made far away. This is why we work to improve connections between the arts and non-arts sectors, and share our learning about working with communities. We sit on regional groups and networks, our performances and films have been shown to policy makers and funders, and whenever possible we bring people face-to-face, so that those who make decisions can speak directly with those are affected by them. Watch the film of a project that brought together farmers and conservationists (2021) Our partners and stakeholders have included the Town and Country Planning Association, Durham County Council, Failte Ireland, North Pennines AONB, Natural England, Durham Dales Health Network, Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust, Durham University, Newcastle University, Believe Housing and Visit County Durham. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Connected Communities harnesses the power of arts and social prescribing to enhance health, wellbeing, and community resilience across County Durham. Connected Communities Back to projects Cultivate Commissions PlaceLab Pride in Teesdale Setting the Scene We Need Your Support Today! Donate