Festival aims to “give something back” to Durham

After its recent launch, Durham Arts Festival is set to take place from 14-21 June. It is part of an innovative scheme run solely by university students, not only to raise money for chosen charities, St. Cuthbert’s Hospice and The Arts Fund, but to ameliorate the relationship between the people of Durham and art.

The week-long festival will feature contemporary artworks of world-renowned artists, such as author and illustrator of children’s books, Quentin Blake, and the cultural activist Martin Firrell. They will be exhibited alongside well-established artists from the North East, Keith Stuart Murray and Steven Livingstone, as well as emerging student talents from across the country. There is an impressive programme of events planned, with workshops, lectures, community projects and international film premieres set to take place throughout the week in the hope that the festival will offer a platform to help “forge stronger links between the town and the student population, allowing students to give something back” says Saskia Stainer-Hutchins, the Festival’s director.

It is also hoped that the festival will make art much more accessible to everyone and help to encourage community involvement between students and the region. University chancellor Bill Bryson notes “Durham Arts Festival promises to be the most wonderful opportunity for the people of the North East to appreciate and engage with art of all forms and to be captivated, amused and inspired by the range of exhibitions, workshops and performances.”