Tees Women Poets are now accepting applications for the 2024 Spoken Word Boot Camp, a unique opportunity for women and gender non-conforming poets in Teesside to attend free masterclass training in performing their poetry. Poets must be 18+, but there’s no upper age limit.

“If you’re looking to start your spoken poetry journey – this course is incredible. Not only are the sessions incredibly fun and engaging but the network of women you will be surrounded with is incredible. I have made huge progress over the weeks and did my first open mic before the course ended- something that really terrified me previously. I’ve learned to believe in my words and just have fun with poetry!”

Graduates of their 2023 Boot Camp have gone on to take up multiple paid performance opportunities with the Tees Women Poets – you can read about their experiences here. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd June 2024. To apply simply email Tees Women Poets three poems and a bit about yourself to teeswomenpoets@gmail.com

Elaine Vizor’s current exhibition in the Art Gallery at Darlington Library shares cyanotypes, photographs of public artworks created by other artists and digital work. It’s on display until Thursday 13th June, with free entry to the Art Gallery during standard Darlington Library open hours Monday to Saturday, and has already drawn praise. Comments from visitors to date on this exhibition include:

• Very varied and interesting show!

• A lovely exhibition, with interesting variety in a beautiful light gallery.

• Great exhibition, lots of variety, I love the Flying Dolphins.

• A brilliant exhibition – all lovely to see and very interesting.  Could walk round forever. ‘Excellent’.

SPECIAL EVENT – Elaine Vizor will also be leading a free talk in the Art Gallery with booking required, on Saturday 18 May 2024 beginning at 11am and finishing at 12 noon. Click here for further information and to book a place. We hope you’ll come and explore this exhibition, and the event will offer you an opportunity to find out more about Elaine’s practice and ask questions about the exhibition if you’re able to attend.

As part of a Your Library Story creative programme, supported by Arts Council England Project Funding, at Darlington Library, Darlo born Poet, Performer and Picture-Maker Lizzie Lovejoy has encouraged people to explore their creativity and to engage in conversation around days gone by, lives today and adventures to come. These have informed the fantastic Now, Then exhibition that’s on display in the Art Gallery at Darlington Library until Thursday 2nd May 2024 during standard Darlington Library opening times, Monday to Saturday. Now, Then contains Lizzie’s pictures alongside individual images from five different artists who responded to Lizzie’s Darlo Draws call out. If you pop into the Art Gallery during Now, Then you can explore the sketches, one of which is shown above, that Lizzie made to inform this exhibition.

Lizzie led Darlo Draws drop in days, encouraging people of all ages visiting Darlington Library and in other locations within the town, to get involved and enjoy drawing as part of this project. A BIG THANKYOU to Lizzie and everyone who got involved, and took up a felt tip, pencil, pen or sticker and made their mark.

While cowboy movies aren’t to everybody’s taste, thanks for those who were quick on the draw.

We’d welcome your comments on Now, Then in the Visitor Comments book in the Art Gallery, a selection of comments to date is shown below:

• Excellent – Heritage is important for us all and generations to come.
• Love the variety of images and descriptions. Enjoyed looking through both the art booklets + brochures. 😊.
• Very good, inspiring.
• As somebody who was born in the North and now resides in the South, it is such a pleasure to see Darlington have its own ‘pretentiousness’.  Well curated exhibition pieces that reveal a story and a journey – brilliant.
• Loved the Art and associated captions.  Striking!  It’s a really good exhibition. 
• I like the Art because it’s nice and relaxing. 
• I like the art because I feel they all have a backstory.
• Wunderbar! Thank you so much for these impressions of your wonderful town! 
• Darlington is a hidden gem of a town and this absolutely superb exhibition only serves to underline the statement.   Bravo Lizzie Lovejoy and all who helped put the artwork on the walls for the townsfolk and visitors alike to see & enjoy.
• Thank you and I will treasure the exhibition brochure.  I am Darlington born and bred and still love it and the Library!
• An excellent exhibition.  Quite uplifting.  I like the ‘Now, Then’ concept and how the artist draws on the past and links it to the present.
• I’ve just moved here and wonderful to see the Library being used to showcase artists work.  Love it! Thankyou.

There are currently a small number of exhibition brochures (pictured above) containing Lizzie’s illustrations for Now, Then on the table in the Art Gallery. You’re welcome to take one of these home for free as a reminder of your visit if you get the chance to pop along before the exhibitions closes and if there are any left.

Creative Darlington is delighted to announce forthcoming and free Positive Poetry writing towards wellbeing sessions for adults aged 16+ taking place at Darlington Library on five Friday mornings beginning Friday 7 June and ending Friday 5 July 2024. Book for events at Darlington Library here with further information on the programme below.

Book for Eithne’s ‘Happy Places’ session above by clicking here with details of other sessions below.

Creative Catalyst is a £10,000 Northern Heartlands artist commission opportunity, working in the communities of Coundon and Witton Park County Durham. Northern Heartlands are looking for two artists to work alongside to explore practice that ignites curiosity and wonder.

To find out more about the commission, or about Northern Heartlands, visit: https://www.northernheartlands.org/artist-call-outs. The closing date for proposals is Monday 29 April 2024.

TeesDance are offering four different MoveAhead artist commissions for 2025 activity across the Tees Valley. The commission in Darlington is supported by £5,000 from Darlington Borough Council’s Heritage and Culture fund (Creative Darlington) budget. IApply by Monday 29 April 2024 at 10am, with more information at https://teesdance.org.uk/moveahead. Those shortlisted will be notified by Tuesday 7 May 2024 and interviews for these commissions are expected to be held in the week commencing Monday 13 May 2024.

TeesDance and Darlington Borough Council are seeking proposals from dance artists or companies to develop and deliver a new piece of indoor work to be showcased as part of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentenary Festival 2025 in Spring – Autumn 2025. View the Darlington commission brief in full by clicking here Microsoft Word – DBC TeesDance Commission Brief .docx (squarespace.com). TeesDance is committed to creating conditions in which dance artists can thrive locally including making new work within the region with the opportunity to export work nationally. Their ambition is for the commission to be co-produced with Darlington Hippodrome. Depending on the scale of the commission, the fee can be used to leverage other funds and TeesDance can support this process.

If Theatre Hullabaloo are successful in raising £5,000 in donations by Tuesday 26th March 2024 the Big Give Arts Fund will match this total and this money will ensure their creative play programmes remain free for families in Darlington for the rest of 2024. Theatre Hullabaloo hope this campaign will provide vital funds for their Creative Children, Stronger Families offer, including creative play programmes, installations, workshops and activities at The Hullabaloo. You can find out more at: Creative Children, Stronger Families (biggive.org).

WRITERS’ BLOCK offer a year-long programme of workshops, mentoring, author masterclasses and meetings with agents. There are 14 places, including 4 reserved for working class writers. Apply here: https://www.writersblocknortheast.com/2024

You can also book for a FREE Taster Workshop, Saturday 23rd March at Darlington Hippodrome, 1.30-3.30pm. Places are limited, so to book your place on this taster workshop please email WRITER’S BLOCK at wbne2020@gmail.com

From May 2024, Periplum is launching a brand-new outdoor arts training programme for Tees Valley creatives, leading to paid employment, professional development, shadowing and participation opportunities.

Are you an artist from any discipline who is looking to make work for the outdoors for the first time? Are you already working in outdoor space but want to develop your skills with an internationally-renowned company? Are you interested in exploring imaginative ways of engaging with audiences, working collaboratively, sharing ideas and developing them across a focused week of training alongside 20 other Tees Valley artists?

If this sounds like you, we’d like to invite you to apply for a place on the Creating Outdoors programme.

Applications are now open. Deadline 25th March.

Click here to find out more: https://www.periplum.co.uk/content/outdoor_training/.

Creating Outdoors is funded by Tees Valley Combined Authority and Arts Council of England to support growth of the local cultural sector.