Creating Opportunities Together
This is Durham:
County Durham can create an international reputation for projects rooted in its rich heritage whilst demonstrating real imagination and creativity for the development of Durham’s exciting future.
Illuminating our Culture, Creativity and Heritage A Cultural Vision for County Durham
County Durham Cultural Partnership culturedurham.wordpress.com Visit County Durham visitcountydurham.org
County Durham Cultural Partnership has undertaken a wide ranging consultation to bring forward ideas, ambitions and aspirations into a Cultural Vision for developing arts and heritage across Durham. The Cultural Vision aims to establish Durham as a leading international centre for innovation and creativity based on its world class heritage. Durham has great cultural organisations and individuals that have been working together to build a shared creative offer with authentic historic roots.
Earth Martyr, Air Martyr, Fire Martyr and Water Martyr Bill Viola 2014 St Peter’s Chapel, Auckland Castle
Developing our Cultural Assets Durham is delivering new, flagship projects demonstrating real innovation and creative edge within our historic settings. We are working together to promote awareness of these exciting attractions locally, across the UK and internationally: Auckland Castle exhibitions, events and major capital developments at Auckland Castle, one of the UK’s most important historic buildings. Durham Cathedral Open Treasure a major development which will transform how visitors enjoy the Cathedral and gain inspiration from it. Eleven Arches and Kynren a new spectacular open-air live action show, taking visitors on a spellbinding journey through British history. Palace Green Library new development in the heart of Durham city to hold Durham University’s special collections and treasures spanning millennia and the globe. Remaking Beamish the extraordinary development of Beamish, the Living Museum, enabling visitors to go back in time to the 1950s. Beamish Museum
Complex Meshes 2015, Miguel Chevalier, Lumiere Durham 2015, produced by Artichoke
Durham has cultural venues and exciting creative projects which include and combine contemporary art, innovation and historic locations in high quality programmes and events.
Bowes Museum delivering contemporary art, fashion and international partnerships within the historic museum programme. Culture DurhamU (Durham University Museums), Durham Cathedral and County collections include designated museum, library and archive resources (Egyptology; Chinese; Sudan Archive; Bishop Cosin’s library) of international significance. Lumiere Durham establishing a reputation for spectacular, cutting-edge light and art installations in the historic city of Durham. Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground as a world class sporting venue for the World Cup and music.
Bowes Museum
Locomotion the ‘Great Goodbye,’ with 12,000 people attending the National Railway Museum’s Mallard 75 project. World Class in Durham major exhibitions such as Lindisfarne Gospels 2013, Magna Carta 2015, Yves Saint Laurent 2015 – bringing huge audiences and economic impact.
Durham has ideas which are being creatively developed to engage local, national and international audiences with our historic venues. Culture DurhamU arts collections, development of Spanish Art links and international working including loans to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a relationship with the National Museum of Japan. Durham Cathedral as a flagship venue for both professional and community performances/arts events and a rolling programme of exhibitions as part of Open Treasure at Durham Cathedral. DLI archive and collection relocated to Seven Hills, Spennymoor, with exhibition space at Palace Green Library to engage new audiences. Land of the Saints opportunity for a joint tourism offer around Christian heritage. Lindisfarne Gospels 2020 potential to reprise the success of 2013. Locomotion 2025 bi-centenary of passenger steam travel and the Flying Scotsman in 2016. Ushaw new cultural and heritage venue with art, music, learning and events in an extraordinary setting. Locomotion National Railway Museum. Visit County Durham
Durham has arts companies and heritage based programmes which are driving up engagement and participation with local people and making creative links to our major heritage venues: Cobweb Orchestra a regional network of local orchestras encouraging grass roots, open-access music.
Brass Festival, Durham
Community Cinema / Mobile Cinema (potential developments with Gala/Tyneside Cinemas, University and Jack Drum Arts). East Durham Creates Creative People and Places activities for Durham’s coastal communities. Festivals Brass, Miners Gala, Durham Gathering, Durham Book Festival. Forge, Tin Arts, Jack Drum and Enter CIC art. Theatre and dance organisations encouraging engagement and participation. Gala Durham, Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Lamplight Arts Centre and Empire Theatre and Cinema wide ranging programme’s of theatre and cinema. Music outreach programme at Durham Cathedral, working with schools and local children.
Miners Gala, Durham
Eddy’s Fish Shop, Norman Cornish, born in Spennymoor, County Durham, 1919-2014 By kind permission of Norman Cornish Ltd
Durham Streets Summer Music Festival
Keyframes Groupe LAPS, Thomas Veyssiere, Lumiere Durham. Produced by Artichoke. Image Matthew Andrews
Durham has extraordinary landscapes, architecture and heritage destinations beyond Durham City and the major museums, which are building cultural tourism in our rural areas: Architecture destinations Apollo Pavilion, Seaham Harbour, Hardwick and Wharton Heritage Parks and Ushaw. Landscape destinations Heritage Coast, Durham Dales, North Pennines, Binchester, High Force. Rural destinations Killhope Museum, High House Chapel, Raby Castle, Tanfield Railway, The Witham, Escomb Saxon Church. Land of Oak and Iron (£3m Heritage Lottery Landscape Partnership commencing 2016). Eleven Arches ‘Kynren’ epic performing arts show and tale of 2000 years of English history.
Kynren Eleven Arches
Durham has the ability to train and build the skills and confidence of local people and local artists and designers to work in the cultural sector and deliver creative heritage projects: Local businesses with commitment to communities, young people and culture including Esh Group and Banks Mining. County Council coordinated support across Education, Regeneration, Health and Culture Departments. County Durham Community Foundation supporting opportunities for local communities to get involved. Chamber of Commerce building business support, training and skills for the creative heritage sector. Durham Creatives helping people start up creative SMEs and improve entrepreneurial performance. Education partnerships between Durham University, HE/FE Colleges and cultural organisations. Skills, training and apprentice opportunities linked to cultural organisations for example, Auckland Castle.
Our Big Gig Jack Drum Arts, Crook
Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground
County Durham Cultural Partnership is working strategically with the 5 aspirations within the North East Case for Culture to develop ideas and projects over the next 15 years for communities across Durham 1 Participation and Reach Local engagement Building on the Creative People and Places work that East Durham Creates are delivering and considering whether this is an approach which could be replicated in other communities. Health Developing strategic engagement between the cultural sector and Public Health in Durham County Council. Durham University New cultural strategy and commitment to linking the University’s academic work and research to engagement with communities and specialist advice and support to a number of cultural institutions across Durham, which can improve their development and sustainability.
2 Children and Young People Education Engaging with the Culture Bridge North East, to support the creation of Local Cultural Education Partnerships (LCEPs) across the region, and promoting a county-wide programme
highlighting cultural venues and events with education opportunities for early years and school age children. Schools Utilising the expertise of cultural organisations in schools engagement, including The Forge, Culture Bridge North East’s delivery partner for Artsmark, and working with the Music Education Hub in achieving its potential.
3 Talent and Progression Skills Training and Education Encouraging a more strategic engagement with FE Colleges around cultural skills training to ensure there are clearer pathways for young people to connect with the cultural sector. Develop a clearer menu across cultural organisations for local older people, children and young people – this could include a joined up approach to recruitment, training and volunteering. Communicate Developing a clearer cultural offer and engagement for all schools and colleges with Durham’s cultural sector. In particular there is an opportunity to work with the County Council Education Development Service (EDS) to ensure that no schools in Durham are overlooked to in engaging, with the cultural sector.
4 Economic Value Grant applications Developing a focussed approach to increase grass roots lottery grants and advice/support for grant making.
European funding Adopting a joined up approach to international opportunities and EU funding (ESF, Creative Europe) Economic case Mapping the current investment and building on the CDCP Cultural Audit so that funders understand the scale and potential for further investment on a County wide level.
5 Creating a Vibrant and Distinctive Region Programming opportunities Brokering partnerships and connecting creatives and heritage sector, linking together organisations and programmes, joining up rural and city initiatives and building the narrative for all the creative and the heritage work which is underway.
Zurbarán Paintings, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland. Visit County Durham
Communications Working with Visit County Durham (VCD) around the ‘This is Durham’ theme, to market the ‘story’ of the great cultural projects which are under development in the County and building their profile. Transport Working with Durham County Council and transport organisations to improve public transport and signposting to encourage visitors around the cultural attractions across the County. Hidden treasures Uniting the art collections of institutions and venues across Durham and opening them up to new audiences. Encouraging cultural placements from Durham University and through Leverhulme Trust research funding. More information on the North East Case for Culture at case4culture.org.uk
High Force waterfall, Teesdale. Visit County Durham
East Durham Creates: Live screening of Billy Elliot the Musical at Easington Social Welfare Centre. Image Colin Davison
This is Durham: Illuminating Our Culture, Creativity and Heritage Durham’s Cultural Vision proposes that we should build an international reputation as a leading place for innovation and creativity based on world class heritage and combine our rich history with the energy of the creative projects and capital developments which are underway. Durham can harness its cultural assets and build on its powerful history, we can tell an ambitious story which will improve the quality of life and education for local communities, attract funding and build audiences from the rest of the UK and beyond. The County Durham Cultural Partnership is developing this exciting approach with strategic support from Durham County Council. The Cultural Partnership believes that if we combine our aspiration, ambition and determination through partnership working there is no impediment to Durham making an international step change in its reputation as a cultural destination and a place which makes the most creative use of its history.
Complex Meshes 2015, Miguel Chevalier, Lumiere Durham 2015, produced by Artichoke