Connected Communities Back to projects Setting the Scene Turning the Hourglass We Need Your Support Today! Donate

creative health in bishop auckland Back to Health and Wellbeing Our creative health activity continues in Bishop Auckland, thanks to funding from Believe Housing Association, Bishop Auckland & Shildon Area Action Partnership and Durham County Council. We’re currently running weekly sessions at Bishop Auckland Town Hall , every Thursday from 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm. Each session involves creative activity led by a professional artist or an individual's own crafts and offers stability and a safe environment for the participants to relax, be creative and enjoy some social time with each other. As part of our weekly social prescribing programme at Four Clocks Centre, Professional animator, Sheryl Jenkins, worked with the group on producing a short animated film using characters and drawings created by them which articulate what these weekly creative sessions have come to mean to them. Project Gallery Model House and scenery Using tools to make a model house Felted Christmas decorations Model House and scenery 1/15 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Bishop Auckland heritage Back to Past Projects Bishop Auckland Heritage Trail "On the Map" co-created by textile artist Gillian Arnold with local schools and members of the community BISHOP AUCKLAND HERITAGE TRAIL.pdf CLICK IMAGE FOR BISHOP AUCKLAND HERITAGE TRAIL AUDIO Scan this QR code to find out more about Bishop Auckland history and heritage We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Landscape and Environment Back to projects Plants on the Edge Budding Botanists We Need Your Support Today! Donate

We believe in the creative power of communities to bring about change. 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."

Plants on the edge Back to Landscape & Environment 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

BUDDING BOTANISTS Back to Landscape and Environment Budding Botanists took place from April to July 2024 and was funded by The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) scheme. The project used arts and creativity to engage and inspire children in schools and their families and broaden their awareness of the rich and rare flora of Upper Teesdale (the ‘Teesdale Assemblage’) and its plight. The project aimed to: · Raise awareness of the rare flora of upper Teesdale · Engage and inspire children using arts and creative activity · Develop an interest and understanding of the environmental issues in our local protected landscape The project involved creative workshops and site visits to Cow Green Reservoir for four Teesdale primary schools: Bowes-Hutchinson's C of E Primary School, Cotherstone Primary School, Montalbo Nursery and Primary School and St Mary’s RC Primary School. The project engaged three County Durham based artists to lead the creative workshops: David De La Haye, Louise Taylor and Nat Wilkins. Site visits to Cow Green Reservoir were arranged for students and teachers from the four schools to discover more about the Teesdale Assemblage. The groups investigated the famous Spring Gentian and the history and heritage of these rare flowers. Site visits were accompanied by volunteers from the Teesdale Special Flora Trust and Volunteer Botany Group, including Dr Margaret Bradshaw, who worked with the students to understand the significance of these unique Teesdale flowers. The three artists facilitated creative activities on site in May and afterwards in schools in June, using photography and sound recording techniques. Students explored ideas about the local landscape and generated their own artwork in response. Artwork included photography, sound compositions, cyanotype prints and zines (small magazines). The project culminated in a public exhibition of the students’ work entitled ‘Fabulous Flora!’ at The Witham Art Centre Gallery in Barnard Castle. The exhibition also included an interactive opportunity for visitors to make their own ‘zine’ inspired by the flora of upper Teesdale. Project Gallery A budding botanist Dr Margaret Bradshaw enjoying the craic with the children Drying cyanotypes A budding botanist 1/16 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Setting The Scene Back to Connected Communities Click the book to read the final report for Setting the Scene Welcome to Setting the Scene, a community-driven project that celebratres the creative voices and stories of Coundon and Witton Park. During Summer and Autumn 2024, artists Dominic Smith and Ronan Devlin worked in community spaces across Coundon and Witton Park uncovering a creative scene that celebrates local culture. Activity included practical making, creating audio content, recording the sounds in the environment, making zines (self-made books) and capturing places through photography. Through audio, visual art and storytelling, Setting the Scene brings together the ideas and expressions of residents involved in the project, blending a proud heritage of the place with a thriving community spirit. A community art newspaper was created and represents and records creative time working with people across Coundon and Witton Park. Every spread in the newspaper shares words, images and sounds gathered as we invited people to explore the past, present, and future of the places they live. The printed QR codes link to audio artworks, capturing the soundscape of the community to complement the visual work that was made and reflects many of the voices and everyday sounds encountered. Setting the Scene created opportunities for connection and collaboration in fun, engaging ways. We hope this project inspires ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of Coundon and Witton Park. If you have any ideas about future projects or want to share work you are doing as an individual or group in the area, check out the information about how to add to The Northern Heartlands Creative Directory. THANK YOU to everyone involved and in particular, to Coundon and Leeholme Welfare Hall and Witton Park Village Hall Click the book to add your details to the Northern Heartlands Creative Directory 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

Past Projects Back to projects Great Place Scheme Bishop Auckland Heritage We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Great Place Scheme 2017 - 2020 Back to Past Projects Northern Heartlands was originally one of 16 Great Place Schemes – funded jointly by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund – which came out of the landmark 2016 Culture White Paper. Our Great Place Scheme in Co Durham focussed on the more rural areas of the county as well as some of the towns and villages of the former Durham coalfield area. We worked with hundreds of local people - listening to their stories, building confidence, valuing their hopes and dreams, increasing their sense of pride in their place and its heritage - and providing some innovative and exciting events and creative activities along the way. We also worked with a range of different partners at a strategic level, with an overall aim of building confidence and enabling the voices of our communities to be heard by those who make decisions on their behalf. The work included a series of Speaker & Discussion Events: creative conference sessions involving community representatives, decision-makers, artists, thinkers and the business community who were all invited to come together to share ideas on issues ranging from Neighbourhood Planning to Hill Farming and from Tourism to Placemaking. Our external evaluator described our Great Place Scheme as 'unique and ambitious'. Read the report here Project Gallery 1/29 Thank you to our generous Funders: We Need Your Support Today! Donate

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… Thriving Communities Bishop Auckland Hidden Heritage We Need Your Support Today! Donate

Here you can find out about our current projects. Health and Wellbeing Landscape and Environment Connected Communities Stories from Ukraine Past Projects Projects We Need Your Support Today! Donate