Arts Engagement

Guy Fawkes

An amazing ‘Guy’ has been created at Dodmire Primary School for Darlington’s South Park Bonfire Extravaganza on Saturday 6th November 2010.

Yvonne Preston, a local community and fine artist was commissioned by Cultural Services to engage with pupils from Dodmire Primary School to create a ‘Guy’ to be the pinnacle for the bonfire at the forthcoming public bonfire and firework display event in November.

Using the theme for this year of ‘A Night at the Movies’ Yvonne, the pupils and staff designed and created a spectacular 12’ Guy, complete with 3D glasses and ‘Doddy’ branded popcorn container.

The Y6 pupils, over two days also created a series of life-sized ‘Guys’ that will act as scarecrows for their own gardens and allotments.

The pupils and staff were so proud of their achievements they had wanted to raise a petition for a ‘Don’t Burn the Guy!’.

The project is supported by Cultural Services to enable children, young people and families to understand the importance of fire safety; to encourage families to engage with formal and safe organised events and to be an integral part of the Darlington community.

For further information on this or other future potential opportunities for participation in Darlington activities, please contact lyndsey.middleton@darlington.gov.uk

Darlington West Indian Association

Darlington West Indian Association is a high energy and wonderful part of Darlington life.  In celebration for the very positive contribution this community offers, an arts banner has been created.

Working with the West Indian Darlington residents, through all generations, ideas created a canvas depicting areas for the West Indies for pride and celebration. 

Once again, Yvonne Preston, local community and fine artist helped the West Indian community to demonstrate their artistic skills they may or did not know they had; whilst responding to their specific wishes for the project.

This celebratory canvas was recently displayed at Darlington’s International Day and will go on to further event opportunities throughout the town and region.

For further information on this or other future potential opportunities for participation in Darlington activities, please contact lyndsey.middleton@darlington.gov.uk

NECA

Over a period of ten weeks, from September to December 2009, working in partnership with NECA (North East Council for Addictions), Darlington Arts Team brought together a project whereby clients used recycled plastic bottle tops to create two large murals with a mosaic approach at Darlington Arts Centre.

The artist, Yvonne Preston was selected to lead on this project.  Yvonne has the skills to encourage creativity from participants, many of whom had never been involved in arts activity other than at school.

The original brief was for mural one “Quakers in Bottle Tops” was based around Darlington Football Club, with a profile of Joseph Pease; the 5’x 7’ mural was worked on by the clients, staff and artist and is due to be exhibited at Darlington Football Club and is planned to move on to exhibit elsewhere in Darlington.

The quantity of bottle tops and the enthusiasm from the clients led the artist to develop another mural with the clients, “The Locomotion No 1” which has historic significance to Darlington.  This 5’x5’ mural is hoped to be exhibited firstly at ‘Head of Steam’ and to be exhibited around the town in the future.

The third mural, "Jigsaw of Our Passions" has been an opportunity for the clients to depict their own passions.  Each client worked on individual jigsaw boards which were put together as a panel to show how each others lives link together but not in clean straight lines.  This mural is currently exhibited at NECA base in Darlington.