Gets to the art of the matter
THEY LIVE
project includes free workshops and events providing excellent opportunities for volunteering and work shadowing, where local residents of all ages can develop skills while celebrating their respective local areas.”
Local artists have been working in each of the three areas with residents on special projects that culminate in public events as part of a festival at the end of this month.
The collected stories shared in East Durham will then become part of the wider Corners of Europe project.
Sharon explained: “The stories shared and what is created are passed on and told in another town or city on the edges of Europe.
“These shared stories are not only meaningful, but also have the power to connect countries as well as people.
“In 2015, artists from The Basque Country, Italy, Slovenia, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Croatia, Poland, Serbia, Kosovo and the UK visited places across the Corners of Europe to meet local people and exchange stories.
“These stories and experiences resulted in a series of new projects, which engage the local community and will also be shared in public places across East Durham.
“Corners shows that we all share similar hopes, issues and dreams; from politics to social welfare, financial worries to getting the chance to be creative.”
Blackhall Community Centre manager Alison Paterson is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the artists.
She said: “We’re just so excited. We’ve said the project is going to be a cross between the Eurovision and X-Factor, and the weekend will be one long party.
“A couple of the artists came here last year to introduce themselves and enjoyed a bit of line dancing, so we know they’re going to be fun to work with and we just can’t wait to get started.”
Head of East Durham Creates Nikki Locke added: “We’re delighted to be working with ISIS Arts to bring Corners of Europe, a very special arts project which connects communities and artists from across Europe.
“We’ll be working closely with people across East Durham to look at where they live through a different lens – celebrating positive stories about Horden, Shotton, Blackhall and the surrounding area. The project is such a fantastic way of celebrating who we are and where we live.
“The intergenerational nature of the project means that it will acknowledge the past through remembering games, stories, characters and places, but it will also be very much situated in the present while looking ahead to the future.”