Community engagement
Trusted, creative community engagement - helping you achieve your aims.
Since 2017, we’ve been developing and delivering work with communities to co‑design creative activities and participatory events. Our work takes place in the places and spaces that matter to people and with groups connected by shared experiences, places or interests.
Our inventive and imaginative methods go beyond the limitations of questionnaires or feedback forms to find out what people genuinely think.
We make sure we reach beyond the ‘usual suspects’, involving those with lived experience who can offer valuable expertise, knowledge and understanding.
We create opportunities for people to explore the issues that matter to them, using creative and imaginative methods that open up conversations traditional approaches can often miss. Involving people with lived experience is central to how we work, helping make sure a wider range of voices and insights are included.
Listening is always our starting point. From there, we shape bespoke creative processes that support meaningful, long-term engagement. The case studies below highlight some of our multi-year partnerships.
CASE STUDY
Dene Valley
Where:
The parish of Dene Valley, just outside Bishop Auckland in County Durham is made up of seven former mining villages. When the pits closed, many areas were listed as ‘Category D’ villages and were partially demolished, leaving traces of old terraces still visible in the landscape. Locally, the central stretch of wasteland is known as "The Hollow".
Why:
Concerns about rising crime prompted a request for support, and Northern Heartlands began a two‑year creative engagement programme. The work brought together local residents with people from organisations such as the police, parish council, the primary school and the local MP.
What:
We facilitated free outdoor arts sessions in different spots around the parish on allotments, street corners and under a simple awning in The Hollow. Anyone passing by could join in. As people experimented with cyanotypes, wind‑powered sculptures and watercolours, conversations naturally opened up about the area, its history and what people hoped might change. One idea that emerged was a winter lantern parade, which we supported the community to develop and deliver. Participants’ ages ranged from 5 – 65 and the project included 923 active engagements.
Outcomes:
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A community café and a winter lantern parade were established with local support
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A new community group formed to support families and young people
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The local MP became actively involved
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New artwork and signage were created for a community building
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Residents played a direct role in shaping decisions about their area
People said what mattered most were chances for the community to reconnect, improving the local environment and more activities and opportunities for young people.
CASE STUDY
Creative Health in Bishop Auckland
A Creative Health Programme addressing health inequalities through creativity
County Durham faces significant health challenges, including high rates of poor mental health and an ageing population. Evidence shows that arts engagement reduces loneliness, lowers risk of depression, and can slow down cognitive decline. Northern Heartlands’ Four Clocks Project, later renamed Bishop Busy Hands, demonstrates how creative practice can be integrated into social prescribing to deliver measurable wellbeing gains.
Aim
Key outputs
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To help adults feel more connected, improve mental health, and build wellbeing through creative activity.
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2+ years of weekly sessions in Bishop Auckland connecting with 36 individual beneficiaries
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Participants referred via our relationships with NHS link workers & housing associations
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Creative outputs: painting, sculpture, textiles, animation, and a co‑authored film
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Social Value: £122,386 calculated via HACT tool → 14:1 ROI
What made it work
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Empowerment as the group transitioned from NH‑facilitated to independent, self‑led organisation.
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Cross‑sector collaboration with housing associations, NHS link workers, artists, and health providers who all worked together.
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Film captured participants’ voices, providing both creative output and evaluation evidence.
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A modest investment delivering significant social value, proving viability within social prescribing budgets.
Outcomes
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Reduced anxiety and depression, increased confidence, new connections.
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Improved mood and sense of belonging.
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Long‑term sustainability as Bishop Busy Hands continues independently, meeting weekly and advocating for creative health.
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Film used by health providers and funders as a case example of arts‑based social prescribing.