After nearly 10 years of working with communities in East Durham, the programme, formerly known as East Durham Creates, is getting a new name and new identity as the programme expands across County Durham. The programme is one of 39 across England funded as part of Arts Council England’s Creative People and Places National Portfolio.
Hosted in Peterlee by local VCSE organisation East Durham Trust the programme has engaged almost 150,000 people, since its launch in 2014, in experiencing, shaping and creating arts and culture about the place they live. In that time the programme has brought £4.6 million of cultural investment into ‘Left Behind Neighbourhoods’ in County Durham.
The programme has also established a network of nine Cultural Hubs, community facilities regularly supported to lead culture in their spaces. It has also led a number of significant large-scale commissions shaped by local people, including If These Walls Could Talk and Above Below Beyond. The programme has developed a new purpose built arts space in Peterlee, the Arts Café at Community House, connected to its host organisation and developed partnership projects that aim to change how communities in County Durham connect with and through culture.
East Durham Creates will now be known as No More Nowt, drawing its name from a project led by local young people before the pandemic. The new name highlights the programmes ongoing commitment to improving and increasing access to great arts and culture in Left Behind places where people often feel ‘nowt happens’. County Durham has the most Left Behind Neighbourhoods in England, 16, with 8 of those being in East Durham where the programme has always operated and where it will continue to be based.
“For nearly a decade East Durham Creates has helped thousands of people access high quality and dynamic arts and culture. In collaboration with our communities, we have brought exciting and engaging arts to community centres, outdoors spaces and even bus stops across East Durham. We are really excited to build on these strong roots and share our exciting opportunities with other communities like ours across County Durham,” said Graham Easterlow, Chief Executive Officer of host organisation East Durham Trust.
Jess Hunt, Director of No More Nowt, who has been involved with the programme since 2015, said: “As we approach our 10th Birthday, East Durham Creates is transforming, taking everything we have learnt from the powerful people of East Durham into the wider County. No More Nowt is committed to supporting local people to come together, find joy and stand up to say we’re not accepting ‘nowt happening’ anymore – that regardless of where you live, you have the right to access, lead and shape arts and culture that represents your place, your people and your story.”
No More Nowt has already begun to connect with communities in North and South Durham and we are excited to learn from new places and work with them to co-create culture that tells their story and matters to them. Visit the growing No More Nowt website to find out more about the programme near you, discover creative opportunities, and explore spotlights on creative practitioners and projects:
https://nomorenowt.org
The new name was publicly launched at a celebratory event at The Big Club, Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday 12th September.