🎧 Happening this week! Join artists Tim Shaw & John Coburn for FREE sound walks in Swaledale 🌿 A unique way to connect with nature. #schoolholidaysfun #FREE

Brilliant day at #NAM @durhamuniversity.bsky.social working with a lovely team of creatives. A privilege to work with astronomers, artists and philosophers and facilitate activity exploring creativity. Attendees were so open and curious ⭐ @nheartlands.bsky.social

🌿 Slow down and tune in… Join artists Tim Shaw & John Coburn for FREE sound walks in Swaledale this July! Discover hidden sounds of nature -birdsong, river flow, even soil vibrations - through specialist mics & headphones. For all ages. Booking essential: www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/swaledale...

Great to hear more @northpennines.bsky.social at the annual conference yesterday. Insightful talks from farmers Jimmy, Paddy & Gemma exploring practice that helps increase nature recovery. Thanks to Charlie too for letting us see the great work going on in Baldersdale @nheartlands.bsky.social

We’re thrilled to share the outcomes of Cultivate Commissions 🎉 A programme supporting artists and communities across County Durham to connect, create and grow. 💚

It’s #SmallCharityWeek 💚 We’re proud to work in County Durham’s rural & post-industrial communities—using creativity to build agency & connection.

Happy #FreelancerDay! Today we celebrate the 70+ brilliant freelancers artists, filmmakers, producers & creative thinkers- who power Northern Heartlands & enrich our region with bold ideas & deep local roots. We’re proud @livingwageuk.bsky.social employers

Pride in Teesdale, supported by @artscouncilengland.bsky.social & @esmeefairbairn.bsky.social united our rural community through events celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities. 🌈 #PrideInTeesdale #RuralPride www.facebook.com/share/v/12Lg...

Northern Heartlands stands in solidarity with Disabled creatives and our sector colleagues by speaking out against the proposed changes to the Access to Work Scheme. Please sign and share the Open Letter from the Culture Sector: 👉 tinyurl.com/AtWLetter #ProtectATW #CreativeSector #DisabledArtists

It's #CWW25 and we want to shine a light on Bishop Busy Hands – a creative group based Bishop Auckland that’s making a big difference to people’s lives: people coming together in a safe space, being creative, shaping their own wellbeing, and supporting one another along the way.

Meet Lizzie Lovejoy, whose Trailways commission explores the connections between community, identity, and the historic railways of County Durham. @lizzielovejoy.bsky.social fb.watch/zyLA8B7CPD/

🌈 If you're 13+, join OUT LOUD this Saturday 10th May, from 5 - 8pm at TCR The Hub for a FREE night of pride, pizza, rainbow sushi, karaoke, silent disco & more! All LGBTQ+ young people and allies are welcome 💖 #PrideInTeesdale #LGBTQIA #FreeEvent #Community @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social

In the latest Cultivate Commissions film, ceramicist Ruth Flowers reimagines local folklore with Rivers Within. www.facebook.com/NHeartlands/... #CultivateCommissions #HarvestCommission #IntoTheLight #DurhamCulture #FolkloreRevival @artscouncilengland.bsky.social @durhamcouncil.bsky.social

If you’re working in or passionate about #PublicHealth, #Arts, #Heritage, #SocialPrescribing, or just curious about how creativity impacts wellbeing, sign up!

✨ Excited that our very own @jillrcole.bsky.social is chairing this upcoming FREE online event with North East Culture Partnership all about Creative Health. 📅 Fri 23rd May 10:30AM - 12PM Nearly half of the tickets have gone eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-health-tickets-1328129423859?aff=oddtdtcreator

Last week marked #EarthDay2025 , so we celebrated the power of creativity to connect people, place, and planet. 🌍

Today is Social Prescribing Day 2025, a day to celebrate and raise awareness of Social Prescribing Link Workers and the role that creative health plays in building healthier, happier communities.

This week is Sign Language Week, a week to celebrate British Sign Language (BSL) and mark the 22nd anniversary of its official recognition as a language in its own right by the UK Government.

In 2024, over 600 people participated in activities at agricultural shows across Weardale, including the Stanhope Show, to explore themes of belonging and community.

Prof. Azadeh Fatehrad, a Darlington-based artist and academic spoke at Bishop Auckland Town Hall’s 'A World of Inspiration' event on Saturday, alongside other women at their International Women’s Day speaker event. Azadeh is one of the artists leading our Creatively Connected project.

Lyndsey recently visited Bowlees Visitor Centre to help install these crafted felted banners! ✨Created for the Cuthbert’s Moor project, they were co-created by artist Claire Priestley (Teesdale Felt), young people from Teesdale School, and community members at UTASS. 🌿🐦

Last summer and autumn, our ‘Setting the Scene’ project brought together 116 participants across 11 creative workshops in the coalfield villages of Coundon and Witton Park. Artists led sessions in printmaking, cyanotype art, sound recording, and storytelling.

Today we joined Nature North’s “Investing in Nature for the North” launch. It’s clear that the North’s natural capital and landscapes offer economic, social, and environmental benefits. We support strategies that value local cultures, histories, and creativity in nature recovery. 🌿 #NatureNorth

People are at the heart of everything we do—including those we employ and contract. We’re proud to be accredited by @livingwageuk.bsky.social ensuring fair pay reflecting the real living cost.💙 #LivingWage #FairPay #PeopleFirst #CostOfLiving #Crisis #Charity #Freelancers

Last Friday, we joined @nomorenowt.bsky.social for the LOVE Culture event, part of Into the Light in County Durham. 💚 Twenty artists from the Cultivate Commissions shared their journeys, inspiring discussions on creativity and collaboration.

Congratulations to all of the talented arts and culture leaders selected for the Durham Creative Community Fellows programme! 🌟This initiative is being delivered by our friends at @thebowesmuseum.bsky.social in partnership with Derby Museums and NAS. 💚

A few weeks ago, young people from TCR Hub & Teesdale School visited Grassholme Observatory. They explored the night sky & reflected on their place in the universe, while also taking part in art workshops with @lizzielovejoy.bsky.social to connect identity, place & mental health. #CreativeHealth

At Northern Heartlands, we believe in the power of people coming together to build strong, connected communities. By working collaboratively and using creativity as a tool, we help individuals shape their futures and foster lasting change.💚 #StrongerTogether #Creativity #Arts #Community

Last year, Take Part in Teesdale brought people from Woodland, Evenwood, and Butterknowle together through creativity. These workshops weren’t just about making art—they were about making connections. 🌟 #MakingConnections #WoodlandEvenwoodButterknowle #ArtForAll #CreativeTogether