East Durham Creates Festival gets underway

Visitors to Peterlee Methodist Church get a chance to take a look at some of the arts that can be borrowed to display in their own home.

East Durham Creates Festival has made its debut in Easington, with a packed programme to visit venues across the area during the next fortnight.

More than 40 performances, exhibitions and events will be held with the aim of bringing people together to experience art.

Libraries and community centres in Blackhall, Horden, Thornley and Wingate among the hosts for the cultural gatherings.

The programme has been put together by East Durham Creates, which was launched in May and will run until the summer of 2016.

Festivals will be held twice a year, one in autumn and the other in spring, drawing on art, performance, music and theatre.

Also among the highlights is The Pan Hag, a character created by Gayle Chong Kwan as she begins a year-long residency with the organisation.

East Durham Creates is managed by Beamish Museum, Forma and works in partnership with East Durham Trust working in partnership.

Beamish’s director Richard Evans said: “This is an exciting and high profile project for Beamish and we are very proud of what the team are achieving with the support of local people and partners.

“Our role is to act as a catalyst, to leave behind a lasting legacy.”

The festival programme is available to download at eastdurhamcreates.co.uk, and hard copies are available at venues across East Durham and the North-East. Call (0191) 5185073 for details.