The Community Art Project

The Community Art Project (CAP) is part of Darlington Borough Council’s Day Opportunities within the Adult Learning Disability Service. It provides an opportunity for people with learning disabilities to try out and pursue various visual arts activities. It is with guidance and encouragement from a professional artist. People normally attend for one day a week.

The CAP is open to anyone who has an interest in trying out arts activities even if they have never done so before. It is geared towards each person’s needs and interests. It aims to encourage people to make their own choices and decisions, to work at their own pace and the best of their abilities. 

People are encouraged to develop and expand their work and ambition as their confidence grows.

The sorts of activities CAP provide include;

• acrylic and watercolour painting
• drawing
• pottery
• screen-printing
• lino-cut and mono-printing
• photography and digital art

They also they aim to enable, as far as possible, whatever ideas people generate and want to express creatively. 

The CAP regularly stages exhibitions of artwork produced by participants. This, along with other opportunities provide genuine motivation and momentum to the project. Seeing work presented professionally through exhibitions gives people a real sense of achievement and participation in a wider world, and a visible presence in the community. 

To date, CAP artists have exhibited their work in many venues in Darlington as well as;

• Billingham
• Bishop Auckland
• Brighton
• Glasgow
• London
• Middlesbrough
• Munich
• Newcastle
• Newton Aycliffe
• New York
• Stockton
• Walsall
• Woking. 

The CAP is keen to hear about and discuss new chances to display their work in different settings and formats.

CAP artists won first and second prizes in the 2019 Outside In National Open Exhibition. Grayson Perry was one of the judges. Five artists formed part of the Earth Vision project that toured various venues in Germany, Austria and Italy. 

Artwork by CAP has also been included in many online exhibitions and galleries and publications including ‘Outside In; Exploring the Margins of Art' by Marc Steene. 

CAP artist Victoria Bowman was recently nominated and shortlisted for the Paul Hamlyn Artists Awards.

The Community Art Project is based at:

Links and Foundations
Brinkburn Road (DL3 6DY)
Salters Lane (DL1 3DT)
Darlington

For further information:

Telephone: 07467 629758
Email: [email protected]
www.darlington.gov.uk/communityart