WITH its rich heritage, specular landscapes and world class attractions, there are many reasons why County Durham deserves to be the next UK City of Culture.
But for Jess Hunt, director of East Durham Creates, it is the untapped potential that exists within its communities that really sets the county apart.
MY role at East Durham Creates has given me first-hand experience of the difference culture can make to people’s lives. Our programme empowers local communities to lead accessible arts projects and ninety-seven per cent of the people we work with do not regularly engage with arts and culture.
Read more: Why County Durham’s UK City of Culture bid would be a game changer for the North East
In communities like ours, people often feel overlooked or misrepresented. In 2019, we ran a project called ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ which shone a spotlight on the stories of older adults living in East Durham.
The culmination was the transformation of bus shelters in Horden for one day only, with pub singers serenading commuters and volunteers sharing stories from specially installed sofas.
The event brought people of all ages together and gave residents a collective moment to be proud of.
They saw their place illuminated in a positive light, energised by their resilience, shared experiences and community spirit.
If this is the power of culture, imagine what a year of events such as this could achieve for people living in communities like Horden, across County Durham. How do you think this would make them feel about the place they call home?
At East Durham Creates, we have backed County Durham’s quest to be UK City of Culture from the outset and have played a key role in shaping the community engagement element of the bid.
The title of our bid is Into the Light: The past we inherit the future we build. This draws upon the historic motto of the Durham Miners’ Association, an organisation whose radical democracy gave representatives from every colliery a vote on decisions that affected their lives.
As UK City of Culture, we would build on this by setting up Place Labs, community based cultural hubs where residents can develop their own creative projects as part of the 2025 programme.
More than half a million people live in County Durham and there are multiple challenges.
However, there is no shortage of talent and we have so much potential. My own experience at East Durham Creates has shown me what can be achieved when people are given opportunities to create and inspire.
If you ask me why County Durham deserves to be UK City of Culture 2025, it is not just because of what we have and what we have done so far. It is because of the potential that exists here and the shared desire of the Durham 2025 partners to create a legacy that benefits communities across the North East for generations to come.
To find out more about Durham’s countywide bid to be UK City of Culture2025, visit , visit www.durham2025.co.uk and follow the Durham 2025 social media accounts at www.facebook.com/Durham2025, www.twitter.com/durham_2025 or www.instagram.com/Durham2025_
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