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.

Darlington Orchestra’s concerts have attracted large audiences, as shown above, and their next takes place on Saturday 1st July at 7.30pm in the Dolphin Centre’s Central Hall. It presents a variety of light classical music, including work by Handel, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue by Richard Rodgers, Offenbach’s energetic Orpheus in the Underworld overture, and the exuberant Pomp and Circumstance March No.1 by Edward Elgar.

Ticket prices remain the same as the previous concert – at just £5 and £7 – so the orchestra’s concerts are accessible and to help people enjoy live classical music. A printed programme is included in the ticket price. It provides brief details about the music and composers; plus, there’ll be a version available specially for children aged 5–11 years.

Special guests will be Darlington Clarinet Ensemble, performing two short sets.

When: Saturday 1st July 2023 at 7.30pm (doors open 7pm)

Where: Central Hall at the Dolphin Centre, Horsemarket, Darlington DL1 5RP

Call: 01325 406000

Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions) from the venue

Online tickets: tinyurl.com/ConcertSummer2023 (+ booking fee)

Please note: cash sales only at the concert for tickets (subject to availability)

• Follow the orchestra on Facebook.com/darlingtonorchestra, Instagram.com/darlington_orchestra and Twitter.com/DarloOrchestra

A few years ago Creative Darlington supported Helix Arts in leading the first Flourish programme , which offered mentoring support to selected artists, and guidance in developing and applying for funding to deliver community orientated proposals in whole or in part in Darlington borough. As a result of the last Flourish programme two successful proposals were delivered, having secured Arts Council England project funding support. These were ‘Opening the Closet Doors’, an art and film project developed by Sarah Li, and TeesDance’s moveUP programme delivered in partnership with Darlington Hippodrome, which worked with and showcased the creativity of aspiring dancers and choreographers.

As a result we’ve commissioned Helix Arts to deliver a further Flourish programme and are seeking new creative proposals which will benefit the community in Darlington. Helix Arts will provide mentoring to selected applicants, and Darlington Borough Council will allocate those selected £500 for your time for participating. Selected applicants will be expected to develop and submit proposals which will deliver activity and involve people in Darlington, either in part or in their entirety. Creative Darlington budget will be allocated to support these proposals subject to agreement ant to Flourish participants being successful in securing additional funding to take them forward from a source other than Darlington Borough Council.

There’s further information on the latest Flourish call out here:, Flourish – Helix Arts and those interested in applying to the Flourish programme should do so by 9am on Monday 19 June 2023.

We hope Flourish will help you in realizing your ideas for creative programmes which involve people with mentoring from Helix Arts,.

Leadership Skills Days – reminder deadline for applications 26 May 2023

Don’t miss out! As part of the Tees Valley Programme Clore Leadership are still accepting applications for the Leadership Skills Days. If you’re looking to enhance your leadership skills and build a robust toolkit, this is an incredible opportunity that you won’t want to miss. These standalone training days led by Clore Leadership contributors are designed to help you explore different areas of expertise, such as:

• Leading From Who You Are with Emma Haughton and Prince Taylor
• Coaching Skills for Leaders with Isabel Mortimer
• Governance– the basics with Keith Arrowsmith
• Artist as Leader with Fearghus Ó Conchúir
• The Art of Change with Claire Antrobus

Through experiential learning, you’ll be able to dive in and gain practical knowledge that you can apply in your role and cultural practice. You’ll also have to opportunity to connect and network with fellow organisations across the Tees Valley. And don’t forget, this is not just an opportunity for you; please do share this exciting news with your colleagues and wider networks within the Tees Valley cultural sector.

Head over to https://www.cloreleadership.org/tees-valley-leadership-skills-days to find out more and apply for a place today!

Upcoming Leadership Experience Session

The next session in the Leadership Experience series is coming up on 13June 2023, 11.00 – 12.30pm, on Zoom with speaker Jamie Beddard, Joint Artistic Director of Diverse City, and Lead Artist in Extraordinary Bodies. Sign up here to book your place.

These quarterly events are series of facilitated conversations where leaders share their stories and experiences. They will take place on-line or in person and are for people living or working in the cultural sector in the Tees Valley.

If you want to find out more about Clore Leadership place-based leadership interventions for the cultural sector in the Tees Valley – click here.

Festival of Thrift is recruiting for 2 new exciting Producer roles and are keen to get the word out far and wide to reach as many potential candidates as possible and the closing date for applications is Monday 29 May 2023 at midnight.

The new role of Creative Projects Producer will be involved in all aspects of Festival of Thrift’s artistic and creative programme. They will produce festival commissions and co-productions and play a fundamental role in realising our festival and wider programme. Festival of Thrift are looking for someone who is curious about and committed to realising adventurous outdoor performance and projects, who is a dedicated creative collaborator brilliant at making things happen and passionate about sustainability. 

The new role of Creative Sustainability Producer is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is passionate about connecting with people and communities through creative activities and projects that champion sustainability. They will be leading sustainability-focused initiatives, developing inspiring content and creating engaging inclusive experiences for a wide variety of people and ages.

You will find more information and the application pack for both roles here:
https://www.festivalofthrift.co.uk/join-our-team/


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What a pleasure it was to welcome Rider Spoke to South Park in Darlington last week, where the sun shone occasionally and regardless of the weather participants explored a fantastic theatre experience for those aged 16 and over, some on foot some by bike. Rider Spoke touches down at The Palace Hub in Redcar next. I hope you’ll get the chance to enjoy by the coast from 28th – 30th April 2023 if you can. I found Rider Spoke meditative and thought-provoking (hopefully that’s not a contradiction in terms), a very human piece of work involving technology through which you might gain insight into others and to which you could make your own contribution should you wish. Big thanks to Blast Theory and Eden Arts, for bringing Riders Spoke to Darlington.

Colin Chapman bowl with pinched rim

Creative Darlington is delighted to be backing Creative Markets at The Friends Community Hub on Skinnergate in Darlington. The next Darlington Creatives Market is on Saturday 29th July running 11am -2pm with no entry charge. They are normally on the final Saturday of each month, and showcase many different arts and crafts by a wide array of creatives based within or around Darlington. Creative Darlington has supported the creative use of this space in various ways, including the installation of exhibition boards last year.

This time beautiful handmade art work, knitted crafts, seagrass jewelry, natural candles, soaps, wax melts, ceramics and lots more are promised and Darlington Friends invite you to come along, support Darlington based traders and treat yourself!

Check out their new dedicated FB Creatives Market page – live now https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091882593579

Soap and Jam handmade soaps – February 2023

Seagrass Jewellery

Lindsay MacDonald knit works – February 2023