Sunderland Echo

Arts projects aiming to draw on life during coronaviru­s crisis

- Tom Patterson tom.patterson@jpimedia.co.uk Twitter: @shieldsgaz­ette

An award-winning arts project in South Tyneside and Sunderland has commission­ed five local artists to explore new ways of connecting people with a culture during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cultural Spring’s Staying Connected project is the latest bid to increase participat­ion in arts and culture on Wearsidean­dSouthTyne­side.

The Super Human Art Project by Sunderland artist Gary Nicholson invites participan­ts with a disability to create a self-portrait of themselves as a superhero – complete with special powers and a suitable name.

Artwork will be scanned and the images uploaded to a dedicated Facebook page and an online video created.

For more informatio­n, email regenerati­onnecic@ gmail.com

Claire Finlay is aiming to presentCra­ftPacksand­Online Tutorials which will see craft kits delivered to participan­ts who will then be able to take part in online creative workshops with her. For details of the project, which has limited places, email info@thecultura­lspring.org.uk

Sunderland-based theatre director Katy Weir’s project – An Adventure for Lives Less Ordinary–aimstobeac­elebration of Sunderland. Part epic poem, part spoken word, part song and part Zoom celebratio­n of everything that’s great about Sunderland.

Katy is running three online workshops – via Zoom - on Tuesday when she will host a virtual meeting to discuss culture in the city and its place during the COVID-19 crisis.

Shewillthe­nhosttwocr­eativework­shops(onFriday,May

29 and Tuesday, June 2, both from 2pm to 4pm. The free workshops are available for anyone aged 16 or over and living in Sunderland. For details, email Katy at stayconnec­tedsunderl­and@gmail.com

Corinne Kilvington is alreadyrun­ningarange­ofonline theatre skills workshops. Her next workshops will be on Saturday,from2pmto4­pm;Tuesday, May 26, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and Saturday, May 30, from 2pm to4pm.

Sessions can be booked by emailing corinne@theatrespa­ce.org.uk

South Shields writer and broadcaste­r Carol Cooke’s project involves creating an archive of lockdown writing, recordings, photos, videos and sounds. She wants people to send her sounds, images or words to describe their experience of lockdown to carolecook­e@sky.com

 ??  ?? Carol Cooke, left, and Corinne Kilvington.
Carol Cooke, left, and Corinne Kilvington.

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