Culture Durham Partnership
news update
Wednesday 22 December 2021
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Greetings from all at Culture Durham
Dear Friends,
Welcome to our last newsletter of 2021 – another year that has certainly presented us all with new challenges.
It’s clear, unfortunately, that we can’t yet leave the difficulties of Covid behind. We continue to work collectively with partners across the north to lobby policy makers and funders for the cultural and heritage sectors, highlighting their highly significant – and often underestimated - value to quality of life in both health and wellbeing and the economy.
The partnership is currently working flat out to develop a strong and exciting bid for UK City of Culture 2025. County Durham has so much to offer, and we intend to demonstrate as powerfully as we can why we need and deserve to be recognised as a force on the national and international cultural stage. Not only do we want to put our wonderful county in the spotlight for the rest of the world, but we will further develop activity with local and interest communities to understand what they want from cultural life and explore with them how to achieve that.
Twenty cities/counties/areas expressed interest in being City of Culture 2025 and we were amongst the eight invited to submit a full bid. Bids must be submitted by 2 February 2022 and we will find out whether we have reached the final shortlist in March. If we get this far then there will be a visit from the judging panel to show off our fantastic county and an interview. The winner will be announced in May 2022.
Whether we are shortlisted or not, the amount of work that has been put into the bid and the incredible level of interest and commitment it has generated across the county and the north east region, has energised us all to continue on this path, to create something special and increase Durham’s profile as a fantastic place to live, work and visit. We want you with us on this journey!
Now is the time to really pull out all the stops! Please pledge your support and keep sending through your fabulous and inventive ideas – although the bid will go in very soon, that’s only the launch pad!
May we all wish you a very happy and healthy Christmas and 2022.
Stay safe and well.
Tony
Tony Harrington
Culture Durham Partnership Interim Chair
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Opportunity with North East Culture Partnership
NECP is looking for a person to support the refresh of the Case for Culture.
Work to be carried out between January - April 2022 with a fee of £5,000.
Following a region-wide consultation in 2014, the North East Case for Culture was published as a 15-year cultural vision for the region.
Now, in 2021, we're clear that much of the original Case for Culture is still relevant but following Brexit and the pandemic, there is a need to refresh Case for Culture.
A consultant who is connected with the region's heritage and arts sectors is sought to gather feedback, insight and opinion which will inform the refreshed Case for Culture.
The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 10 January 2022.
Click here to read the full brief and to apply
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Events coming up early in the new year
Creative Fuse
Welcome to Creative Fuse @ Durham
3-5 pm, January 27, 2022, Orbit, Netpark, Sedgefield
Come along to learn more about Creative Fuse NE and how you can get involved with the project! Also help us plan our supportive activities and events for 2022 and beyond.
Click here to register
The Creative Funding and Evaluation Toolkit
12.30-16.00, Thursdays in February 2022, Framwellgate Community Centre, Front Street, Framwellgate Moor, Durham
Geared toward practitioners and organisations that rely on external funding (such as ACE) to deliver their arts-based and cultural work, this immersive 4-part series will empower you in making the most of your evaluative work, finding funding, managing change and working collaboratively to thrive and grow in impact and community support. This will be particularly useful for those working across the social enterprise, CIC, and charitable sectors. We're excited to be co-delivering this with local arts and culture sector consultant Kate Gorman. Places are limited and priority will be given to those registered in County Durham.
Click here to register
Create North
Celebration of creativity, 21 and 22 January 2022
Create North is running a fully-funded two day Celebration of Creativity for arts practitioners and micro creative organisations based in County Durham. It will be hosted within Ushaw Historic House, Chapels, and Gardens on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January.
For those of you yet to be dazzled by this emerging jewel in Durham’s crown, Ushaw is quickly establishing itself as a fantastic centre of contemporary creative practice with over 50 resident artists, studio spaces and a rolling programme of arts activities. Its stunning Chapels, Refectory, Exhibition Hall & Parlour make it a wonderfully inspiring place for artists, performers, designer-makers and participatory artists to step away from day-to-day matters and focus their energies purely on their creative work in the company of peers, practitioners and commissioners.
Thanks to funding from Durham County Council Community Cultural Events Funding this event will include professional development workshops, opportunities to create work individually and collaboratively, the chance to (re)establish relationships with other practitioners, the opportunity to platform ideas and sell your work, and an ‘Open Space’ workshop to explore and develop ideas for new projects or resolve challenges. And, there will be wonderful food and drink.
Both days will be festooned with opportunities to spend time with other practitioners and build your creative networks, plus lots of opportunities for creative activity, but each day will have its own special flavour.
Day one: 9am until 11pm
Day one will include:
- Professional development workshops
- Create Together – quite simply, a fun thing. But also as a means through which to reflect on our creative development individually, collectively and as a cohort rooted in County Durham.
- Lunch
- A platform to share ideas, share your creative journey, or sell your work
- Dinner in the beautiful refectory at Ushaw
Day two: 9am until 4pm
Day two will include:
- Workshops which focus on wellbeing – providing a relaxing experience for all of us, but also showcasing how wellbeing links to the arts and can be an opportunity for many of us
- Brunch
- An afternoon of ‘Open Space’ project development – an opportunity to work with new people developing ideas for new projects and activities that tackle specific challenges or questions that we feel are significant within the county
- Afternoon Tea
For those of you who would like to stay overnight at this wonderful venue (and who wouldn’t?) Ushaw has overnight accommodation. This is chargeable but can be booked by event participants. There is limited availability so if you wish to stay overnight please book early at events@ushaw.org to avoid disappointment.
Book Friday 21 January: day one
Book Saturday 22 January: day two
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Wor Culture
Are Artists the Future of the High Street?
Thursday 13th January 12.30pm – 2pm, (online, BSL Interpreted)
The future of the High Street is on everyone’s lips, as more and more shoppers move online. What can artists and creatives bring to ensure town centres don’t die?
In the North East,Creative Enterprise Zones (CEZs) are being scoped in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland as one way to support the long-term development of the culture and creative sector and to help reimagine our urban and rural centres.
In this session we hear from Matt Baker about Mid Steeple Quarter in Dumfries. Matt will discuss the core project of Midsteeple Quarter, which is to enable the community of Dumfries to take the lead in the re-development of a block in the heart of the town to shape a new future for the town centre that is responsive to the needs of the community and run for their benefit. The local community have developed the vision through consultations dating back to 2011, and with the active support of Dumfries and Galloway Council and numerous other local and national partners.
Discussions will be based around 3 main themes:
• Creative Enterprise Zones: What kind of mechanisms are needed to ensure CEZs/creative hubs embed within and grow the cultural ecology of the places in which they are located? How can the high street/cultural hubs/CEZs create the conditions to enable the cultural sector to stabilise and grow through and after the pandemic?
• Representative: What do we need to ensure that the development of CEZs/cultural hubs are representative and respond to local need?
• Distinctiveness: How can rethinking the high street to counter the monotony of same-old high street stores draw on and develop local distinctiveness? Beyond CEZs or cultural hubs, how else can artists shape the high street? What is needed to enable this?
Click here to register
Wor Culture Networking Lunch @ The Core
Thursday 10th February 12.30pm – 2pm
Wor Culture will facilitate our first in-person networking event at The Core, Bath Lane featuring quick fire presentations, pre-recorded videos and written content to inform discussion around sector challenges and opportunities.
Please share your suggestions for themes, speakers and content or put yourself forward to contribute by emailing Bob Allan
Wor Culture Networking Lunch @ The Core
Thursday 28th April 12.30pm - 2pm
Wor Culture will facilitate an in-person networking event at The Core, Bath Lane featuring quick fire presentations, pre-recorded videos and written content to inform discussion around sector challenges and opportunities.
Please share your suggestions for themes, speakers and content or put yourself forward to contribute by emailing Bob Allan
Skills and Talent Development
Thursday 26th May 12.30pm – 2pm (online)
Wor Culture will build on last year’s SKILLS: ENABLING THE CULTURAL WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE event with an event focused on skills and talent development in the sector.
Wor Culture is a forum for discussing issues relating to the culture and creative sectors in the North East, and contribute to shaping its future. The gathering is facilitated by Newcastle University but we strongly encourage the sector to propose topics for discussion, join in the debate, or offer to lead a session.
Wor Culture is able to support attendance at events through small bursaries to assist with travel and childcare. Please email Bob Allan
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Durham County Council's covid COMF grant scheme
The submission date for the next round of Durham County Council's covid COMF grant scheme is 19th January 2022. Applications received will be assessed on Tuesday 1st February. Funding is available for existing events and new community cultural events delivered in a covid secure way. Supported activity needs to take place before 31st March 2022.
Click here for more information and to apply
If you have any questions about the scheme please contact COMFEvents@durham.gov.uk
Little Lives UK - Children's Community Support Programme
Grants of up to £1,500 are available to provide services support disadvantaged and disabled children (UK). The programme is open to applications from children’s groups and organisations such as play groups or sports classes. The Children’s Community Support Programme is also open to applications from other projects, as long as their primary objective focuses on providing services to disadvantaged and disabled children. There is no monetary minimum that groups can apply for, and Little Lives UK will additionally support the work of successful applicants through their social media channels and on our website. Four or five grants are awarded on a monthly basis, and the next application deadline is the 31st December 2021.
Click here for more information and to apply
The Wallace & Gromit's Children's Charity
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to registered charities to improve the quality of life of sick children in hospitals and hospices throughout the UK. The grants are to support projects that ensure that whilst in hospital and hospice care, children can still play, socialise and recuperate from treatment in a child-friendly environment. Funding could support, for example, the provision of life-saving medical equipment, free family accommodation, a range of arts, music and play therapy programmes, sensory equipment and facilities, and respite care. Preference is given to projects conceived by, and developed in children’s hospitals and hospices.
The deadline for applications is the 11th February 2022.
Click here for more information and to apply
National Lottery Grants for Heritage (UK)
Not-for-profit organisations and private owners of heritage across the UK can apply for grants of between £3,000 and £5 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for projects connecting people and communities to UK heritage. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic the National Heritage Fund will prioritise heritage projects that promote inclusion and involve a wider range of people; boost the local economy; encourage skills development and job creation; support wellbeing; create better places to live, work and visit; and improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage.
There are no deadlines for applications for under £250,000.
For applications exceeding £250,000 the next closing date is the 24th February 2022.
Click here for more information and to apply
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