Community Connections Grants

What's On

Find a Community Connections event near you, made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and in partnership with a range of fantastic organisations.

  • Ruins and Reverence: A Queer Gaze on the Roman Past

    Location: Benwell Roman Temple and Benwell Vallum Crossing

    In partnership with Harbour Printworks

    A creative workshop series for young queer people that explores queer narratives in ancient Roman History. The project will include site visits and history talks and result in the participants working in collaboration on a zine based on their learning and on-site experiences.

     

  • The Romans Were Here

    Location: Benwell Roman Temple, Benwell Vallum Crossing, Denton Hall Turret and Heddon-on-the-Wall

    In partnership with St James’ Heritage and Environment Group

    A 12-week programme of heritage activities based around an exploration of Hadrian’s Wall in the West End of Newcastle. The varied activity programme will engage participants with the West End’s Roman History through site visits, workshops, archaeology, reenactments, food-based learning, open days at local libraries for information drop ins, publications, miniature and model building with children and countless more funded and volunteer-led events.

  • Scotswood Garden Wellbeing in Nature

    Location: Benwell Roman Temple and Benwell Vallum Crossing

    In partnership with Scotswood Garden

    An 11-week project inviting participants from   areas of high economic deprivation to explore site-based Roman History in Benwell. On and off-site creative responses will inform a collaborative ‘wellbeing temple’ at Scotswood Garden which will include creating prayer flags, mosaics, clay pots, etc.

  • NDC Canvas: Weaving Past into Our Future

    Location: Bessie Surtees House, Hylton Castle, Prudhoe Castle and St Paul’s Monastery, Jarrow

    In partnership with Newcastle Deaf Centre

    Creative summer programme built around site visits with young people who will be encouraged to respond to sites through a variety of mediums. Individual visits will inspire the creation of art, poetry and songs. Their work will culminate in an exhibition at Prudhoe Castle and will also be displayed in-house at the Newcastle Deaf Centre.

     

     

  • Old Stories, New Songs with Howay the Lasses

    Location: Bessie Surtees House

    In partnership with Semibreve CIC

    A songwriting project at Bessie Surtees House in collaboration with Howay the Lasses. The group will work with participants and volunteers to transform the history of the site into an original song, culminating in an on-site public performance.

  • Access: Bessie Surtees House

    Location: Bessie Surtees House

    In partnership with Speaking Up Together

    An accessible heritage project at Bessie Surtees House led by people with learning disabilities to create interactive interpretation and hold site-based workshops driven by the desire to make the site more inclusive for all.

  • Cultural Canvas

    Location: Bessie Surtees House

    In partnership with Bridgewater School

    A cross curricular heritage programme engaging primary pupils of Bridgewater School with Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Victorian history through site visits, workshops led by an artist and hands-on craft activities, resulting in a final exhibition.

  • Opening the furnace

    Location: Derwentcote Steel Furnace

    In partnership with Northern Print

    A printmaking project where Northern Print studio-users will create new work inspired by the industrial and cultural heritage of Derwentcote Stell Furnace. This project will result in an open exhibition, on- and off-site, and an online showcase.

     

  • Her Mark: Women Making History Then and Now

    Location: Hylton Castle

    In partnership with Pink-Collar Gallery

    A series of feminist workshops at Hylton Castle drawing from the castle’s heritage to explore and celebrate the overlooked contributions of Medieval women. The project will comprise of heritage craft activities, storytelling and working in collaboration on an illuminated manuscript.

  • Circus in the Castle

    Location: Prudhoe Castle

    In partnership with Newcastle Circus Arts

    A month-long project working in collaboration with young circus performers and costume designers to prepare for a circus-based event day at Prudhoe castle with events for families, aerial rigs and a site-specific promenade performance.

     

  • Promoting Prudhoe Castle and the Surrounding Area

    Location: Prudhoe Castle

    In partnership with Prudhoe Community Hub

    A community marketing project at Prudhoe Castle to establish new walking trails involving the site, expand existing publications highlighting the castle as an important visitor destination and creating new leaflets for Prudhoe Castle, explaining its history and significance.

  • Flying the (new) Flag at Prudhoe Castle

    Location: Prudhoe Castle

    In partnership with Arts and Heritage CIO

    A volunteer-led artist commission to redesign a flag for Prudhoe castle. The project responds to the lack of opportunity for commissioning experience to upskill volunteers who will be involved in all aspects of this process. The resulting legacy will be a permanent, branded flag for the castle, created in collaboration with the local community.

  • Connecting Community Through Craft, Heritage and Inclusion

    Location: St Paul’s Monastery, Jarrow

    In partnership with Cornerstone Benwell

    A cross-community heritage activity programme for older adults and those experiencing isolation or dementia. Site visits will inform hands-on cultural activities, Anglo-Saxon crafts and traditional skills, led by an artist.