Northern Heartlands arts project aims to succeed where others have stalled

COULD artists succeed where others have failed in helping communities convince decision-makers that they know what’s best for their towns and villages?

That’s the key question at the centre of the Northern Heartlands project, a three-year scheme which has received £1.5million in National Lottery funding.

Northern Heartlands is part of something called the Great Place Scheme, a national joint venture between the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England and Historic England.

A small project team led by director Jill Cole has taken up residence in the Hall Street offices, part of The Witham complex, and is laying the groundwork for how Northern Heartlands will develop.

"We are trying to prove that arts, culture, heritage and having a sense of place can have all sorts of benefits,” says Ms Cole.

“By listening to people, we can translate local knowledge of a place into shaping and influencing policies that are made about that place.”

And this is where the artists come in.

Forget about men in suits, long tedious reports, graphs and charts, Powerpoint presentations et al.

“What we can do is use some arts activities. We are using artists because they have creative ways of getting people involved. That makes it fun and it makes it easy,” says Ms Cole.

“In practical terms, we are going to be commissioning some work and engaging with communities in Teesdale and Weardale.”

With the project still in its infancy, quite what that will be has yet to be worked out.

“We will be working in partnership with a wide number of organisations from across County Durham and the wider north region. In particular we will be looking at how landscapes have changed due to people’s influence and how people have changed due to the landscape, using culture and the arts to change things.

“Because I have spent my career working in the arts, I know that can help.”

So, for example, how could Northern Heartlands influence, say, the future of the former St Peter's school, at Gainford.

The site has stood derelict for years with different parts owned by different developers and still no sign of things moving forward.

“We could create a way for the community to get involved in a project that will have the result of voicing clearly what they think would be the best use of that building or that land without them sitting in a room with simply a form to fill in but really gets their understanding of the local environment and what that place needs; what would work in that place.

“Because we are using artists to do that, it will give people the chance to think about options they may not know exist.”

At the other end of the scale – and the dale – Ms Cole is keen to see Northern Heartlands address what she says is the “disconnect” between decisions made by Government and farmers working on fells who are expected to implement them.

She is also keen for Northern Heartlands to have an input into neighbourhood plans, such as that being considered in Startforth.

Ms Cole says involving the arts in the process could throw up imaginative options, “something other than the status quo”.

She adds: “That can be quite difficult to do if you have always lived in that place.”

One thing Ms Cole emphasises is that whatever form the work of Northern Heartlands takes, it will not replicate or duplicate the efforts of other organisations.

“At the moment, we are trying to pave the way and get the ground work done, finding out who is out there doing projects and seeing where we can add value.

“Things will start happening later this year, but the main part of the programme will be carried out during 2018 and 2019,” she added.

One of the first things to be launched under the Northern Heartlands umbrella will be a community initiative fund.

Administered by the County Durham Community Foundation it will offer grants of up to £5,000 for arts and cultural activities.

The first round of funding opens in October, with successful projects announced in February next year.

For more details about the Northern Heartlands project, go to www.northernheartlands.org or find the group on Facebook and Twitter