AN artistic community rocked by the closure of its central base came together to stage a town’s first arts showcase event.

The arts in Darlington suffered a huge blow with the closure of the council-run arts centre last July, but yesterday’s event featured a wealth of stalls, live music, dancing and crafts in the Market Place and Dolphin Centre.

Community group Darlington for Culture (DFC) joined forces with Darlington Borough Council’s markets department as part of the Love Your Local Market event, to stage the showcase, which gave artists the chance to display their skills as part of the town’s month-long Arts Festival.

DFC chairman John Dean described it as “a brilliant celebration of the arts in the town”.

He said: “One of the big things that happened when the arts centre closed was the fragmentation of the arts movement because a lot of the organisations that met in the arts centre had to find bases all over the town.

“What we want to do is keep that community together in some way.

“We wanted the whole festival to shine a light on what is already happening in Darlington – we just wanted it to be a celebration really, and I think it has done that.”

Among those taking part in the showcase was Darlington Arts Academy with its West Side Story Project.

The group is running a summer theatre school for youngsters at a renovated warehouse in Lingfield Point, and is involving the borough’s elderly residents by running a memories project alongside it.

Volunteer co-ordinator Emily Burns said the initiative was an example of making the arts accessible to all.

She said: “There are a lot of dance schools in Darlington, and, of course, their pupils are welcome to get involved, but our workshops will also include arts, drama, crafts and the memories project.

“It really is for everyone.”

The Northern Echo: Shoppers
Shoppers view one of the stalls

Yvonne Preston, artistic coordinator of the arts showcase, thanked the council and all the venues that supported the event and the festival.

She said feedback has been so positive there are already plans to hold a second arts festival and showcase next year.