Creative Darlington has allocated support to Darlington Friends to install boards to display exhibitions in a community focused space they expect to open soon on Skinnergate in the former Footprints unit close to the Friends Meeting House. The boards and space will host an exhibition by Darlington artists Artofmistakesuk (@artofmistakesuk) • Instagram photos and videos , Sam Green, Alison Ivanec and Brian Lee during Darlington Arts Festival 2022.

Creative Darlington was delighted to support the installation of exhibition boards in a community focused Town Centre location, creating a new space where artwork can be seen, particularly as the exhibition programme in the gallery at Darlington Library has been put on hold during the restoration work there. Looking forward to seeing the exhibition during Darlington Arts Festival 2022.

Hello! My name is Sarah Li and I am a Scouse artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne.  I am very excited to finally be able to introduce myself and to you all and what I am doing with Creative Darlington. 

‘Opening the Closet Doors’ is an art and film project that I am working on with local LGBTQ+ adults referencing the archives of the Darlington Hippodrome. I have been exploring these amazing archives with the incredible and very knowledgeable historian James Davison to uncover LGBTQ+ histories, stories, shows and performers. Some of these narratives and inspirations are beginning to take shape into our creative responses that will be shown at the Darlington Hippodrome summer time 2022.

I am still very keen to learn more about Darlington, more about this beautiful theatre and in particular to hear your stories. If you are a local LGBTQ+ adult and you would like to hear more about how you could get involved in the project, please contact: s.grundy.art@gmail.com

Keep your eyes peeled for more information over the coming months!

Commissioned as part of the ‘Flourish’ programme by Creative Darlington

Also funded by Arts Council England and County Durham Community Foundation (Dover Art Prize creative award).

This project is generously being supported by 

Darlington Hippodrome

LGBT+ NSG and SAN North East

Huge thank you to Helix Arts who have provided invaluable support alongside Creative Darlington during the R&D stage of this project.

Image credits: Sarah and Edwin Li, Darlington Hippodrome Archives

Do you want to try drawing, painting, ceramics, jewellery making, portraiture, life drawing or trying a new creative course for fun in Darlington, then why not explore the Summer programme of courses at The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts above or at https://thebridgedarlington.org.uk/courses/term/

Most of the Summer Term Arts Courses run one session per week on a weekly basis over ten weeks with the Summer Term beginning in the week commencing Monday 2 May and closing in the week commencing Monday 26 July 2022).

If interested you can sign-up online or call The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts on 01325 243864.

The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts is a Darlington charity and we looking for a volunteer who is interested in any aspect of arts or crafts and who could look after our finances.  We run courses in painting, ceramics, photography and many other different media, aiming to help the mental health and well being of the local community as well as providing a vital cultural centre for the town.  He or she needs to be some one who has accounting and/or bookkeeping skills and the task is certainly not onerous.  It consists of a commitment to one to two hours a week on average (with increased activity around the submission of the annual accounts), and is basically paying a few regular bills, as well as looking after our two bank accounts and  petty cash.  Ideally we would also like you to join our Board, which meets three or four times a year, so that you can take part in our exciting plans for a post-Covid future.  For more details, contact our Chair at chris@the bridge.darlington.org.uk.

In this short video specially made flags, are used by people in Darlington, who work from an originally designed interface to communicate things which have helped shape or currently contribute to our culture. From various points around the town, people signal letters and words using the visual ship to ship communication method of ‘Semaphore’.

This project was funded and supported by Darlington Borough Council through Creative Darlington and the Arts Council England. Work by Chris Folwell, Anton Hecht and Jason Berge and Thom Samson. Our thanks to all the people involved in making the film including the Creative Space, Darlington Library, the Dolphin Centre, the Head of Steam railway museum, Darlington Hippodrome, The Forum Music Studios, the Majestic Theatre, bell ringers and St. Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington and those who had a try elsewhere in the Town Centre.

Drop in sessions were co-ordinated to find out more about semaphore in a marquee in Darlington Market Square as part of Darlington Arts Festival 2021, so people could have a try at using semaphore to get their message across.

Some of the cast members of the Dick Whittington Pantomime at The Majestic Theatre in Darlington from Friday 17 December to Friday 31 December 2021 got into costume for filming, oh yes they did, and we hope that follower’s of Anton’s work both in the UK and further afield, will discover more about communication with semaphore and the delights of Darlington as a result of this programme.

“It was fantastic for us to be a part of this and input our own quirky ways to this project. It’s wonderful for a variety of communities to come together to help in whatever way we can. The Majestic Theatre are wanting to become more involved and help in whatever way we can which also helps promote our beautiful venue and keep the arts alive! Thank you for welcoming us to this project.” 

Hayley Warters, Lyall Events & Entertainment Director, The Majestic Theatre

Big thanks to artist Bethan Maddocks, winner of the Dover Art Prize 2019, for sharing MAKING THE CUT in the gallery at Darlington Library. The exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 4pm daily on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between Monday 22 November 2021 and Thursday 16 December 2021, thanks to Darlington Cultural Volunteers for their support in stewarding the exhibition. The gallery is closed to the public on weekends.

Models created by Cabinet of Curiosity Studio as part of a Grand Constructions participatory arts project which used art, making and design to explore the architectural and industrial heritage of the North East of England can now be seen in Queen Street Shopping Centre in Darlington, who have kindly provided space to share work created during the programme. Grand Constructions was a project supported by Arts Council England and Creative Darlington.

Cabinet of Curiosity Studio worked with people in Darlington during Darlington Arts Festival 2021 and at the Head of Steam railway museum during the programme, and have kindly made templates for their models of Baltic Flour Mills, Darlington Clock Tower, the Gaunless Bridge and Sydney Harbour Bridge (shown below) available online if you want to get involved and have a go at conjuring up your own Grand Construction model. There are also a small number of templates of Darlington Clock Tower available at Darlington Library while stocks last.

Further information on Grand Constructions and templates are available at: https://www.cabinetofcuriositystudio.com/pages/grand-constructions

A big thank you to Cabinet of Curiosity Studio, Queen Street Shopping Centre, all the people who had a try at making models, all the people including architects, builders and engineers who created the buildings and bridges depicted within the exhibition, and the makers of carboard and the inventors of the laser-cutting.

Thank you Caroline and Edmond from Cabinet of Curiosity Studio for bringing Grand Constructions to Darlington and demonstrating what happens when creativity, cardboard and ingenuity meet.

Bethan Maddocks Making the Cut exhibition will be on display in the gallery at Darlington Library between Monday 22 November and Thursday 16 December 2021. The gallery is open to the public Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. The exhibition is presented with thanks to The Dover Art Prize and with thanks to Darlington Culture Volunteers for help in stewarding the exhibition.

Explore giant ladders, paper leaves and open books in this presentation of new work that celebrates the forests and trees of County Durham. Making the Cut will share Bethan’s experiments with hand and machine cutting to present a series of sculptures and explorations in paper, perspex and metal.

Artist Bethan Maddocks, winner of The Dover Prize 2019,  works with light, paper, fabric and found objects to make sculptures and installations that audiences can touch, explore or add to. During the last two years she has explored new technologies in paper cutting and paper sculpting techniques, to create a series of work and exhibitions developed with support from The Dover Prize

Having aimed to work closely with the community in 2020, Bethan shifted the focus of this work to instead reflect the landscapes and forests that both shaped the heritage and industry of County Durham and provided a salve of respite for the community in recent challenging times.

The Dover Prize is a 2-year bursary awarded to an artist to provide them with time to think, research, reflect and experiment with new ideas to create work premiered in Darlington.

Places on the Bridge Centre for Visual Arts creative courses for adults in spring 2022 on sale now, just contact the artist whose course you’re interested in by e-mail (see leaflet) to find out more about these courses or to book your place. With courses in Ceramics, Jewellery, Open Art, Pop in and Paint, Life Drawing and Painting, Portrait Drawing and Painting and The Art of Abstract Photography there are lots of creative avenues to explore at The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts in Spring 2023. Creative activity can brighten your week and these courses are aimed at adults, run for 10 sessions and start in the Week Commencing Monday 17 January 2022 with a half term break in the Week Commencing Monday 21 February 2022.

Thanks to the fantastic Forum Music Studios for the invite to the launch event of the above album last night, with great artists and bands sharing their music in front of a live audience. I was really struck by the quality of their music, the breadth of talent and people who appreciate engagement with the Forum Music Studios, with emerging talent who’ve participated in the Forum’s Song Club Sessions and experienced artists sharing their songs. I found it heartening to hear those performing advising of what the Forum Music Studios, this project and the chance to share music live again meant to them. A lovely evening, and a tribute to those involved, particularly those performing, the fabulous Form Music Studios and Kirsten Yates, who designed the album cover and managed the programme, and Arts Council England for supporting their work through the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund.