THE organisers of Darlington’s first-ever arts festival say it has been a big success – and are already planning next year’s event.

Performers and venue owners are putting the finishing touches to preparations for the final events this week.

Meanwhile, members of Darlington for Culture (DfC), the organisation which has co-ordinated the festival, say they have already been approached by people keen to be involved again in the future.

By the end of the festival, about 80 events will have taken place under the Darlington Arts Festival banner – more than double what was originally planned.

DfC’s three-person festival committee of Yvonne Preston, Jo Land and John Dean were the event’s main organisers.

The group battled unsuccessfully to save the town’s arts centre from closure last year, and the festival was seen as a way of bringing creative people together in the same way that the much-missed Vane Terrace venue did.

Mr Dean said: “I think the festival has been a success. When we first had the idea for it, at the back end of last year, we were not really sure what to expect.

“We thought if we could get maybe 30 events, we would be doing well. But as it has turned out, we have had more than 80 and a lot of them have been very well-attended.

“So I think it has been a big success, we are very pleased.”

Events held as part of the festival this weekend included calligraphy, beading and illustration sessions at the Bridge Centre for visual arts, in Yarm Road, an a reggae night at the Quakerhouse pub, on Saturday (May 25).

There was also an arts and crafts fair and family event at Hurworth Grange, on Sunday.

Asked about plans for another festival next year, Mr Dean added: “We are going to get this one out of the way first, but so many people have come up to us with ideas.

“We are really delighted that artists, venues, businesses and organisations have taken up the calling and they have helped to make this such a superb festival.

“Part of the idea was to get that sense of community that was lost when the arts centre was closed and I think that has happened.

“The festival has brought people together and that is certainly something we would like to do again.

“When we first had the idea, we talked to people from one or two other festivals and they said that it takes time to build these things up and we believe that will be the case for our festival.”

EVENTS being held during the final week of Darlington Arts Festival include...

Tuesday (May 28)

POETRY NIGHT: The Vane Women will hold readings of poetry and prose in the Conservatory Bar of Darlington Civic Theatre, at 7.30pm. There will also be an open mic slot. Tickets cost £5/£3 concessions. Call 01325-486555 or email vane.women@ntlworld.com

ART CLASS: Messy Little Fingers are holding an eco-art ‘come and try’ session for parents and children aged one to five, from 10am to 11.30am and 1pm to 2.30pm, in the workshops at 21a Centrepoint Road, Lingfield Point. Sessions cost £4 (£3 for additional siblings). Call 07727-706-335.

Wednesday

CAFE CREATE: A talk about the different options for self-publishing will be held at Cafe Create, in Parkgate, from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets cost £2. Call 07739-116330 or email land.joanne@gmail.com

ARTS MEET: Artists Yvonne Preston, Paul Dillon, Rosi (correct) Thornton and Anna Cole will be displaying their work at the Mercure Darlington King’s Hotel, in Priestgate, from 9am to noon. Workshops will also be held, from 10am to noon and from 1pm to 3pm. Admission costs £5 for adults, £3 for under 16s and is free for under fives. Pay at the door.


Thursday

OPEN MIC: Authors and budding writers can showcase their work in an open mic night for prose, poetry, drama and film scripts, at Voodoo Cafe, in Skinnergate, from 7pm. Each reader will be allocated an eight-minute slot. Admission is £3, payable at the door.


Friday

PUNK NIGHT: Punk act The Vibrators, who toured with Iggy Pop, will play at The Forum, in Borough Road, at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £7 at the door.

ACTIVE ART: Artist Yvonne Preston will be creating a large artwork using recycled materials, at the Head of Steam railway museum, in Station Road. This event is a lead-in to the forthcoming Festival of the North-East art activities being held at the Head of Steam, and runs from 10am to 3.30pm. For more information, call 01325-347128.