No 4 Skinnergate (formerly used by Butterwick Hospice Care) is being offered by Darlington Quakers on a minimum three year lease term and available immediately.

Expressions of interest are being handled by Denham Properties, Duke Street. For
informal discussions and site visit, please email Helen – hdwmanagementservices@gmail.com

The Quaker Skinnergate “Estate” is rapidly becoming known as a creative corner in the town
centre, supporting, in particular, the local arts scene. Creation of “Friends Community Hub” (no 6 Skinnergate) last year has developed a low cost multi purpose pop up space suitable for exhibitions, workshops, public engagement events etc as well Darlington Creatives Market once a month, generously supported by Creative Darlington, enables small scale local artists and makers to have a free outlet to promote and sell their work.

The shop space is split over two levels with a small set of steps connecting, and includes back stock room/office, toilet and kitchenette. There is also three basement rooms suitable for storage purposes only. It is a unique and characterful historic building with large display windows and great corner positioning, visible from three streets which would suit a variety of creative ventures. It has recently been decorated inside and out, with new colourful fascia boards as part of the Town’s Fund regeneration.

The Festival Collectives Challenge Fund is intended to encourage and support coordinated, collaborative and connected approaches to strengthening the reach and impact of existing festivals and events across the Tees Valley.  

We will support festival collectives (consortia) to:  

• build sustainability, resilience and more robust business models for the individual businesses and, concurrently, strengthen the sub-sector they represent. 
• Build audiences and grow geographic reach. 
• contribute to a year-round, cohesive festival and events offer in Tees Valley 

This challenge fund will enable financial investment in two consortia, one which brings together music festival partners and another which brings together LGBTQIA+ programmes. There will be scope for a third consortia to receive support should a compelling case be made. 

Applications must be made by a collective of organisations/individuals with a nominated lead organisation. The collective must contain at least three festival products, two of which must have been delivered at least once before.   

Existing multi-site festivals are eligible to apply on the basis of bringing new partners to the table, extending geographic reach, diversifying the offer.  

Collectives must have good geographical spread with at least 3 out of the 5 Tees Valley boroughs (Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and Stockton on Tees) represented.  

Key dates:  

• Festival Collectives Challenge fund opens: 14th July 2023  
• Visioning Workshops:  17th July 2023 – 18th August 2023  
• Deadline for Applications: 15 September (12 noon)  
• Applicants notified of outcome: 19th October (by 5pm)  

Full details, guidance, and how to apply can be found here. Festival Collectives Challenge Fund – Business (teesvalley-ca.gov.uk)

A fantastic programme of ticketed creative courses for adults is available to book now at The Bridge Centre for Visual Arts, but please don’t delay in contacting the artists that lead any you’re interested in as places are limited and the Ceramics Courses led by Sheila Plews are already fully booked. Places on a variety of courses from Drawing and Painting to Tutored Life Drawing are still on offer, just contact the tutors if you’d like to find our more or to book onto one of the autumn courses.

Don’t miss out! The deadline for TWO exciting opportunities as part of the Tees Valley Programme is fast approaching on the 3 July 2023.

Facilitation Skills Training

Applications are now open for a day of Facilitation Skills training on the 3 October 2023 at the BIS, Hartlepool with coach and facilitator Emma Haughton.

This one off training day is designed to help build confidence and hone skills in working effectively with others. It will include a mixture of training, practice of skills and reflective sessions, as well as a short action planning session at the end to help you decide how to put into practice the approaches and skills developed.

The fee for the Facilitation Skills training day is on a pay what you decide basis, with a minimum rate of £10 + VAT for individuals; £25 + VAT for organisations. A sandwich lunch, and tea/ coffee will be provided.

The deadline for applications is Monday 3^rd July 2023. Head over to https://www.cloreleadership.org/tees-valley-facilitation-skills-training to find out more, and details on how to apply.

Mentoring programme

Would you like a mentor who will empower you to boost your confidence, navigate professional challenges with, or plan your next steps within your chosen career path? We have launched an exciting opportunity for six cultural leaders and change-makers in the Tees Valley region to be matched with an experienced mentor to support your leadership journey.

The mentoring offer includes a half-day online briefing on 28 September 2023 for all mentees, followed by three 1-hour online or in-person sessions with your mentor, which will be self-facilitated and self-organised.

We are also calling for expressions of interests from potential mentors in the Tees Valley region to support the programme – so please get in touch if you’re able to offer your expertise and time.

The deadline for mentee applications and mentor expressions of interest is Monday 3^rd July 2023. Head over to https://www.cloreleadership.org/tees-valley-mentoring to find out more, and details on how to apply.

Facilitation Skills Training

Applications are now open for a day of Facilitation Skills training on the 3 October 2023 at the BIS, Hartlepool with coach and facilitator Emma Haughton.

This one off training day is designed to help build confidence and hone skills in working effectively with others. It will include a mixture of training, practice of skills and reflective sessions, as well as a short action planning session at the end to help you decide how to put into practice the approaches and skills developed.

The fee for the Facilitation Skills training day is on a pay what you decide basis, with a minimum rate of £10 + VAT for individuals; £25 + VAT for organisations. A sandwich lunch, and tea/ coffee will be provided.

The deadline for applications is Monday 3^rd July 2023. Head over to https://www.cloreleadership.org/tees-valley-facilitation-skills-training to find out more, and details on how to apply.

Mentoring programme

Would you like a mentor who will empower you to boost your confidence, navigate professional challenges with, or plan your next steps within your chosen career path? We have launched an exciting opportunity for six cultural leaders and change-makers in the Tees Valley region to be matched with an experienced mentor to support your leadership journey.

The mentoring offer includes a half-day online briefing on 28 September 2023 for all mentees, followed by three 1-hour online or in-person sessions with your mentor, which will be self-facilitated and self-organised.

We are also calling for expressions of interests from potential mentors in the Tees Valley region to support the programme – so please get in touch if you’re able to offer your expertise and time.

The deadline for mentee applications and mentor expressions of interest is Monday 3^rd July 2023. Head over to https://www.cloreleadership.org/tees-valley-mentoring to find out more, and details on how to apply.

A series of outdoor (Plein-Air) painting schools in areas such as Darlington, Teesdale, The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales led by experienced artist and tutor Ginny Whittle, who created the Sunset Sutton Hall image above, is being planned this summer.

My inspiration is the landscapes of Yorkshire, The Lake District, Scotland, wildlife, and my Dog, I spent time outdoors painting and sketching some times in remote landscapes.

For full details including dates, locations, costs and equipment recommended please email Ginny directly on whittleginny@yahoo.co.uk

Darlington Hosts Creative Future’s 2023 Roving Writer In Residence

Local author Lisette Auton will be Darlington’s Writer In Residence in July.

She’ll be roving across town, with a pack of writing prompts for anyone who wants to have a go, or just chat about what a writer does and about Darlington.

Lisette will explore ideas about what makes a place your home. Sometimes we stay in the town where we’re born; sometimes we move to new places for various reasons. But what makes a place your home? Is it family? History? Community? Time going by? What connects you most to where you live?

Look out for her at:

Saturday 1st July

11am-1pm – Darlington Market

2-4pm – South Park café

Wednesday 5th July

11am-1pm – Waterstones café

2.30-4pm – Hippodrome

Thursday 6th July

11am-1pm – Hippodrome

2-4pm – Dolphin Centre café

Thursday 13th July

10.30am-1pm – The Hullabaloo

2-4pm – Cockerton Library

Saturday 15th July

11am-1pm – South Park

2-4pm – Darlington Market

Friday 21st July

11am-4pm – Darlington Train Station & on the train (Bishop Auckland to Saltburn)

Monday 24th July

All around town–see if you can spot her! (She’ll be wearing the cape.)

Lisette will also facilitate six writing workshops for adults at Friends Meeting House—all self-contained and open to all: https://www.creativefuture.org.uk/for-writers/workshops-for-writers/.

Matt Freidson, Deputy Director of arts diversity organisation Creative Future, said: “This is a unique part of our Writers’ Award. This year we’re bringing the residency to the writers—allowing them to explore their hometowns, communities and unique places.”

Lisette Auton works with words in all their forms: as an author and playwright, a film and theatre maker, as a solo artist, with collaborators, and alongside wonderful humans as a creative practitioner and mentor. Disabled, neurodivergent and northern, some say she’s a word artist, she says she does stuff with words. She is the author of two middle grade novels, THE SECRET OF HAVEN POINT and THE STICKLEBACK CATCHERS.

This project is supported by the Arts Council and Amazon Literary Partnership.

Social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CreativeF_uture

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativefutureuk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativefuture

Great to see the exciting activity above hosted at The Friends Meeting House on Skinngergate in Darlington, with further information and booking at Workshops for Writers – Creative Future.

Learn how to hand draw repeating prints with industry professional Lauren Wright at a half day Creating Repeating Patterns workshop at The Bridge Centre for Visual Art in Darlington 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday 10th June, priced £25- with booking required.

Booking: To book your place please email laurenmiriamwright@hotmail.co.uk

Really enjoyed a recent sunny Bank Holiday weekend visit to Seaton Delaval Hall, where it was great to see the work of audio producer, Chantal Herbert and cultural curator and photographer, Dami Fawehinmi, dancer Maria Isidora and designer-maker and architect, Edmond Salter, displayed in situ within the hall and grounds as part of the North East Emerging Artist Award 2022 exhibition, which closes soon on Sunday 11th June 2023.

The exhibited works utilized different media powerfully to illuminate and explore different aspects of the site’s character and heritage in my view, adding to my appreciation of the location. Edmond Salter and Caroline Collinge from Cabinet of Curiosity Studio will begin work on a new programme in venues across Darlington (Darlington Library, The Friends Community Hub and the Education Room in South Park) as part of a programme supported by Arts Council England Project Funding and Creative Darlington beginning later this year.

In the meantime, just wanted to pass on my thanks to all involved in this fantastic exhibition at Seaton Delaval Hall, and if you can go and see it set within a fascinating building with beautiful grounds I’d recommend making the trip.