Industry News

Twenty creative practitioners will have the opportunity to bring their work to life in County Durham, thanks to £70,000 of new commissions to enhance cultural participation in the county.   

The innovative ‘Cultivate Commissions’ project offers a springboard to enable creative practitioners and arts organisations to develop their work with communities across County Durham. 

It is part of the Into the Light programme, which launched earlier this year, to drive growth in the County Durham creative sector and break down barriers to working in the creative industries.

The three-year programme is being delivered by Durham County Council in partnership with Beamish Museum, The Bowes Museum, Durham University, Ensemble ‘84, The Forge, No More Nowt, Northern Heartlands, Redhills CIO and TIN Arts. Culture Durham is a key stakeholder, representing the broader cultural sector.

The first round of Cultivate Commissions includes 10 ‘Seed’ commissions of £2,000 awarded to projects in their early stages and 10 ‘Germinate’ and ‘Harvest’ commissions of £5,000 awarded to projects further along in the process. It follows an open call with nearly 60 applicants who applied for the 20 commissions.

The successful projects include explorations of LGBTQIA+ culture, drawing and painting local landscapes, circus and theatre making activity which reflects on ideas of identity and belonging. They span the county, covering areas including Tow Law, Stanley, Bowburn, Barnard Castle, Trimdon Grange and Peterlee.

Alison Clark, Head of Culture, Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council, said: “We are delighted to announce the first 20 creative commissions for the Into the Light programme. The core purpose of the initiative is to empower people to get involved in culture and create opportunities within our County Durham communities. We want culture to thrive in our county and these creative minds will play a key role in that. Congratulations to everyone who has been awarded the funding – we are excited to see their ideas brought to life.”

The creative practitioners plan to involve communities around County Durham with their projects and use learnings from the creative process to enhance their practice into the future.  

Project leads No More Nowt and Northern Heartlands worked with over 100 creative practitioners over the summer, facilitating interactive sessions which explored how to develop creative capacities across the county.

Jess Hunt, Director of No More Nowt, said: “This is a wonderful springboard for artists, performers, photographers and other creative minds to spark ideas and take their work forward. We were thrilled to have so many strong applications and enjoyed the summer sessions where more creative practitioners had the opportunity to develop ideas and network.”

Katy Milne, Senior Manager at Northern Heartlands, said: “The creative activity will encourage pride of place and creativity within communities across County Durham. We can’t wait for it to get started and to come together for a celebration event in 2025.”

Successful Creative Practitioners/arts organisations:

Michelle Douglas-Allison/Rose Cottage CIC, Georgia Goodson-Platts, Scarlet Hall, Alice Kelly, Matt James Smith, Emory Southwick, Cloe Sparrow, Debbie Tod, Elaine Vizor, Zara Worth, Joe Bunce, Citizen Songwriters, Daisy Arts, Elysium Theatre, Ruth Flowers, Kate Fox, Hannah Guy, Lizzie Lovejoy, Sarah Stamp, Weardale Together.

Artist Lizzie Lovejoy was awarded a £5,000 commission to develop their creative practice, and said: “It gives us the chance to be proud of our home and the people in it, looking not only at our past, celebrating our industrial heritage, but showcasing who we are today. Our stories, our lives, showing that they matter; that we are allowed to be creative.”

Zara Worth, another commissioned creative, commented: “I was over the moon to be awarded a Cultivate Seed commission to realise my new project ‘New Shrines (Hope)’. The commission has enabled me to make new connections with organisations in County Durham and work with new groups and communities on an exciting participatory artwork.”

The creative activity is underway until January 2025 and a celebration of the work and ideas will be planned for early spring.

Into the Light is funded by Durham County Council, the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Durham University.