webdev changed the description of the group Digital Place Lab from “A place to collaborate and create digital art work.” to “The mission of Place Lab is to use the power of culture and creativity to catalyse change at a local level. Working in towns across County Durham each Place Lab will foster a community-centred approach to culture and regeneration. Hyper-local, place-based activities will boost cultural participation and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and connectivity within and between our communities.

Through collaboration with cultural and creative partners, communities will be empowered to actively engage in decisions shaping the future of their places. Place Labs are being established across the county, complemented by a digital knowledge hub designed to enhance inclusion, connection, and knowledge sharing.

A combination of home producers (No More Nowt and Northern Heartlands) and Durham County Council are working with creative practitioners to deliver Place Labs according to local needs and demands. Currently Place Lab locations include Peterlee, Stanley, Weardale, Shildon and Durham City. Work is underway to develop two new Place Lab locations, as well as the Digital Place Lab and the digital knowledge hub.

Place Lab is led by Durham County Council in collaboration with

No More Nowt and Northern Heartlands

@NoMoreNowt

@NHeartlands

Place Lab is part of Into the Light – a place-based creative collaboration designed to create long-lasting growth in the county. It includes a series of eight projects which collectively cultivate talent, widen access to creative education, enhance the skills of the cultural workforce, and break down barriers to working in the creative industries.

The Into the Light Programme is delivered by Durham County Council in partnership with Beamis Museum, The Bowes Museum, Durham University, Ensemble ’84, The Forge, No More Nowt, Northern Heartlands, Redhills CIO and TIN Arts. It is funded by Durham County Council, the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Durham University. The work is supported by Culture Durham and Visit County Durham.

https://culturedurham.org.uk/into-the-light/”