Darlington has a significant role in railway heritage, with the bi-centenary of the first railway passenger journey on Locomotion No. 1 on the Stockton & Darlington railway in 1825 fast approaching in 2025, two active railway stations, Bank Top and North Road, the Head of Steam railway museum  and a number of key buildings and sites, including the track-bed of the Stockton & Darlington railway running through the borough.  The railways, both in Darlington and worldwide, have been a rich source of inspiration for creative practice and exploration, helping people travel and explore, meet new people, exchange ideas, visit new places, as regular commuters or on journeys home. Click the box below to find out more about the current programme ‘Heritage on Track’. 

Heritage on Track is engaging people in local heritage of international significance in the lead up to 2025, the bi-centenary of the first railway passenger journey on Locomotion No. 1 on 27 September 1825 on the Stockton & Darlington railway. The programme is creatively exploring the importance of both rail and local heritage within particular communities in Darlington which are based in close proximity to the track bed of the Stockton & Darlington railway (Red Hall, communities around North Road, and Middleton St George).  The project is managed by Darlington Borough Council, with Groundwork NE & Cumbria leading the community programme and Tees Valley Arts leading the Creative programme.  Heritage on Track is one element of the Great Place Tees Valley programme.

Heritage on Track is delivered by Groundwork NE & Cumbria and  Tees Valley Arts on behalf of Creative Darlington and is part of Great Place Tees Valley. This project is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Creative Darlington have the pleasure of launching an opportunity for artists. We are seeking submissions from visual artists of works to be installed in and around the Crown Street Gallery, Darlington. Art forms can include drawing, painting, illustration, poetry, photography or design.

We are looking for contemporary, visually captivating works which will demonstrate the creative brilliance of the creative communities in and around Darlington and the wider Tees Valley.

Artworks can be pre-existing works. We do not see this as a commission for the creation of new work.

4 artists works will be selected. Successful artists will receive £150. Their work will be printed and shown as part of an external site specific showcase around the Crown Street Gallery in Darlington. Works should be suitable for reproduction in print. The final artworks will form a collection of banners and window vinyl, which animate the exterior of Crown Street Gallery, sparking people’s curiosity and highlighting the creativity in the region.

Successful artists will also be profiled through the Creative Darlington website and marketing material.

HOW TO APPLY

Artists can submit up to 3 works. Applications should be done through Curator Space here and should include

• a brief artist statement
• a short paragraph describing the submitted work(s) (200words max per artwork)
• works should be submitted as a jpeg image.

Creative Darlington are interested in showcasing creative talent from in and around Darlington and the wider Tees Valley. We would like to know the location of artists applying for this opportunity, but submissions will not be judged solely on this. We welcome applications from artists across the UK.

KEY DATES

Application deadline 12 noon, 28 February.

Submissions will be reviewed by a selection panel w/c 4^thMarch

Selected artists will be notified via email by Fri 8^thMarch.

APPLY AT CURATOR SPACE HERE

HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/CROWNSTREETCALLOUT

Further information on sites for installed works can be found here

Last year, the council decided to keep the main library at Crown Street and will invest £2m in improvements and repairs.

Between now and 15 March, we are gathering your views on how Crown Street library could look in the future.

Follow the link below to have your say…

https://www.darlington.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/darlington-s-main-library-is-staying-at-crown-street/

Would you like to go to Hogwarts like Harry Potter? Or to the deep dark woods with the Gruffalo?

Would you like to have a go at stop animation? Or perhaps gaming is more your thing?

Whatever your interest… be sure to check out BookFest.

Coming soon to Crown Street Library.

Mallinson & Doyle delivered a proposal which was selected for the Dover Art Prize 2016, leading to the creation of  a new work, Strang Stone, which was shared Darlington’s Indoor Market in  2018.  Strang Stane was informed by the heritage, including periodic relocation, of Darlington’s Boulmer Stone, and would periodically rotate whilst in Darlington (a rhyme written about the Boulmer Stone described it turning when the Town Clock struck).

Earlier this week Strang Stane was on the move again, leaving Darlington (thanks Ian, Creative Darlington’s man with a van and a lot of technical experitse) ………………………

and returned to creative hands of Mallinson & Doyle, who worked with a number of local artists whilst working in Darlington, particularly around the launch of Strang Stane.

The Dover Art Prize, co-ordinated by County Durham Community Foundation, isn’t standing still either.  A call out for arists for the Dover Art Prize 2019 closed in January 2019 and the selection process is fast approaching.  Exciting times ahead and great that the winner will share their work in Darlington in the not too far distant future.

Creative Darlington have the pleasure of launching an opportunity for artists. We are seeking submissions from visual artists of works to be installed in and around the Crown Street Gallery, Darlington. Art forms can include drawing, painting, illustration, poetry, photography or design.

We are looking for contemporary, visually captivating works which will demonstrate the creative brilliance of the creative communities in and around Darlington and the wider Tees Valley.

Artworks can be pre-existing works. We do not see this as a commission for the creation of new work.

4 artists works will be selected. Successful artists will receive £150. Their work will be printed and shown as part of an external site specific showcase around the Crown Street Gallery in Darlington. Works should be suitable for reproduction in print. The final artworks will form a collection of banners and window vinyl, which animate the exterior of Crown Street Gallery, sparking people’s curiosity and highlighting the creativity in the region.

Successful artists will also be profiled through the Creative Darlington website and marketing material.

HOW TO APPLY

Artists can submit up to 3 works. Applications should be done through Curator Space here and should include

• a brief artist statement
• a short paragraph describing the submitted work(s) (200words max per artwork)
• works should be submitted as a jpeg image.

Creative Darlington are interested in showcasing creative talent from in and around Darlington and the wider Tees Valley. We would like to know the location of artists applying for this opportunity, but submissions will not be judged solely on this. We welcome applications from artists across the UK.

KEY DATES

Application deadline 12 noon, 28 February.

Submissions will be reviewed by a selection panel w/c 4^thMarch

Selected artists will be notified via email by Fri 8^thMarch.

APPLY AT CURATOR SPACE HERE

HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/CROWNSTREETCALLOUT

Further information on sites for installed works can be found here

The application is by online submission. Artists are welcome to submit two proposals if you so wish.