What's on Calendar

This fully-funded two day Celebration of Creativity is for arts practitioners and micro creative organisations based in County Durham. It will be hosted within Ushaw Historic House, Chapels, and Gardens on Friday Ist and Saturday 2nd April 

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:

• Creative 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 21st January: Day One

Don’t forget to book your place for day two on this site if you’d like to attend both days.