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

We rely on generous donors to continue providing vital opportunities to local communities. Read about how you can support Northern Heartlands and why it is so important to us. Support Us Will you help us? As a small charity, anything you can give will make a difference. Your donation could help a vulnerable person attend a wellbeing session, or pay an artist to create something amazing with a community. See Our Projects Help us make a difference! Donate now 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

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

We began life as an Arts Council and Heritage Fund Great Place Scheme in 2017. We have now become a registered CIO. Our History We began life back in 2017 as one of England’s 16 ‘Great Place Schemes’. Jointly funded by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Scheme was designed to pilot new approaches to local investment in arts, culture and heritage. Northern Heartlands’ ‘great place’ was the south-west corner of County Durham; an area comprising the Area Action Partnership districts of Teesdale and Weardale (rural, isolated villages and hill farms), Bishop Auckland & Shildon, and the ‘Three Towns Partnership’ of Tow Law, Crook and Willington (small towns and surrounding settlements of the former Durham coalfield). Over the three years, projects ranged from small one-off workshops to a major new community opera created with local communities in partnership with Opera North. A small grants scheme supported by County Durham Community Foundation saw 47 projects developed by community groups. Approaches ranged from an innovative 18-month project commissioning an artist/researcher to work with hill-farmers to harness their views and voices, to ethnographic engagement with a cluster of small, neglected settlements in the Dene Valley Parish – once destined for demolition under the infamous Category D scheme when the pits closed – and supporting a major outdoor arts event in the former coal-mining town of Willington where, prior to Northern Heartlands’ engagement and as one young person succinctly put it, “nothing ever happens”. At the end of the Great Place Scheme, it was clear to us that this work had only just begun. Our evaluation revealed that our work had a profound impact on our communities, including: increased pride in the area increased confidence in themselves greater connection to the heritage and culture of the area as well as having a positive impact on health and wellbeing At the end of 2019 we made the decision to establish Northern Heartlands as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in its own right. Going forwards we will continue our work primarily in the south-west corner of County Durham, building on existing relationships with communities as well as striving to forge new ones in order to continue the work we have begun. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Our work is broad, and our current projects include health and wellbeing activities (including social prescribing), working with villages to bring about change, and delivering artist development opportunities. About us Northern Heartlands is a charity based in County Durham bringing the creativity of artists together with individuals, community groups, schools and partner organisations. Together, we create performances, activities and events that change how people feel about themselves, the places where they live, and what happens there. We work with people living in the deeply rural areas of Teesdale and Weardale, and with the post-industrial towns and villages of the former Durham coalfield. Current projects include health and wellbeing activities to support people living with poor mental health (including social prescribing), a town-wide community heritage project, and a partnership project protecting endangered plants in Teesdale. Read about our current projects here . “You brought what I think was a broken community back together - I have never felt so proud in my life” (Audience Member) We recognise that wider change is needed, so we also play a strategic role facilitating better communication and networking between the arts and non-arts sectors, and helping partner organisations improve their engagement with people in communities. Partners and stakeholders have included the Failte Ireland, Town & Country Planning Association, Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Visit County Durham, Natural England and the North Pennines AONB Partnership. “What sets Northern Heartlands apart is artists using non-traditional ways to engage with communities and help tease out information. The project supports our Conservation 21 aim of putting people and their values at the heart of environmental projects” (Natural England Conservation 21 Case Study) We believe strongly in ‘co-production’ – working with people and artists to develop the projects, activities, and events they want. This means we don’t always know what the end will be when we start. We also believe that high quality arts, culture and heritage should be available to all. That's why we take our activities, performances and exhibitions out to where people are, whether that’s a village hall, town green, community centre, online or even someone’s front doorstep. We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Policies Data Protection Policy Web.pdf Complaints Policy Web.pdf 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

Between May 2021 and June 2022 we ran a social prescribing project called ‘NOW’ - a programme of activities helping to support those living with anxiety, depression, loneliness or mental health issues. It was funded by the National Academy for Social Prescribing and Arts Council England’s pioneering ‘Thriving Communities Fund thriving communities Back to Past Projects Between May 2021 and June 2022 we ran a social prescribing project called ‘NOW’ - a programme of activities helping to support those living with anxiety, depression, loneliness or mental health issues. It was funded by the National Academy for Social Prescribing and Arts Council England’s pioneering ‘Thriving Communities Fund' We worked with three delivery partners: Jack Drum Arts , TCR The Hub and UTASS. Over the course of the programme, our partners delivered more than 130 activity sessions including canoeing, nature walks, dancing, filmmaking, creative writing, arts, and crafts, helping with community events and sometimes just getting together for a cup of tea and chat. Read the full evaluation report here. What is Social Prescribing? Find out here Project Gallery UTASS UTASS Jack Drum Arts UTASS 1/21 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Get in touch with the Northern Heartlands team and we would be happy to help! Get in touch 01833 200220 Northern Heartlands, 3 Witham Studios Hall Street, Barnard Castle DL12 8JB First Name Last Name Email Subject Type Your Message Here Send Thanks for submitting! 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

A partnership between Northern Heartlands and Teesdale Special Flora Trust funded by the Governments Green Recovery Challenge Fund through National Lottery Heritage Fund. Plants on the edge Back to Past Projects During 2022-2023 we partnered with Teesdale Special Flora Trust in this exciting project funded by the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund through the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The Trust was set up to continue the work of the inspiring and renowned botanist Dr Margaret Bradshaw who, at the age of 98 (in 2024), still leads walks, oversees monitoring and surveying activity and gives talks on the ‘Teesdale Assemblage’ – a collection of rare alpine plants unique to Upper Teesdale and threatened with decline as a result of climate change. The project included schools workshops, a series of public talks and a touring exhibition. Find out more about Plants on the Edge here Project Gallery Teesdale's famous Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna) Model of the Spring Gentian by Yrs 3 & 4 at Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary Archaeology and botany walk in Upper Teesdale Teesdale's famous Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna) 1/7 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate