News and Events
A summer of creativity is planned with nature as inspiration

20th July 2010
As a part of the Green TV project, co-ordinated by Tees Valley Arts, five artists will be running fun and creative arts workshops for the whole family on wildlife sites across the Tees Valley – throughout the summer holiday. Everyone is welcome to come down to a nature reserve local to them and take part in a wide range of arts and wildlife activities.
To mark the launch of the artist’s site residencies there will be a series of celebration events at the nature reserves, where members of the public are invited to come along and take part in fun and exciting art activities. Then pick up a flyer with all other dates
The events and site residencies will take place at various locations across Tees Valley including RSPB Saltholme, Maze Park Nature Reserve, North Gare & Seaton Dunes, Coatham Marsh Nature Reserve and The Whinnies Nature Reserve.
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Maze Park Nature Reserve – near Tees Barrage – 10am-4pm from Saturday 14th to Friday 20th August
Maze Park map
- The Whinnies Nature Reserve (Middleton St George, Darlington) - 1 – 3pm Wed 28th July, and 10am-3pm Wed 4th, Wed 11th, Wed 25th August, Mon 1st September

- RSPB Saltholme – 10-4pm Mon 2nd, Tues 3rd, Mon 16th Tues 17th & Wed 18th August

- Coatham Marsh (Redcar) – 1-4pm Fri 6th and 10-4pm Mon 9th, Tues 10th, Mon 16th, Tues 17th, Mon 23rd, Tues 24th August
- North Gare & Seal Sands – 10-3pm Mon 2nd Tues 3rd & Wed 4th August, Mon 6th, Tues 7th, Sun 12th September

Teesmouth Field Centre Directions

Redcar Youth Centre Artwork Unveiled
July 2010
Hartlepool-based glass artist Rachel Gretton has been working with students from Rye Hills School and young people who attend Redcar Youth Centre to create work which is now installed at the centre, giving the main room a stunning make-over.

Youth Worker and Teaching Assistant Nicky Tucker contacted Tees Valley Arts to manage the project, as she wanted young people to experience professionally-led workshops and to create unique work for the centre, she said, “…we didn’t just want canvases or street art – we wanted it to stand out, and what the young people have achieved with Rachel is fantastic”.

The young people worked on the glass pieces with Rachel, who then took their designs, along with the creative writing from Rowena Sommerville’s sessions with the young people, to create the large vinyl piece, which is layered using all the young people’s work. The smaller vinyl piece with the purple background is the creative writing of all the young people interspersed with famous quotes, and the background is one of the designs from the young people.

Jane Gray, Education Officer at Tees Valley Arts said, “Rachel’s work is really interesting – she combines glass, glass techniques on other materials and creative writing to form totally unique pieces of work. The young people have been able to work with her to develop their creativity and skills and should be extremely proud of what they’ve created together.”

Arts Award Bronze / Silver Adviser Training
Tees Valley Arts is running Arts Award Bronze / Silver Adviser Training on Tuesday 17th August at Tees Valley Arts.
Arts Award is an excellent framework for working with young people - building confidence and self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, engagement, as well as the arts and creative skills developed within the Award.
For further information and to book training go to www.artsaward.org.uk
TVA's latest newsletter (Summer 2010) can be downloaded from the Resources section.
WorldFest 2010
Some great images from WorldFest courtesy of Kev Howard can now be
found on the WorldFest website Gallery page
26th May 2010
Green TV Set for Go
Green TV, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), will provide an innovative and exciting programme of environmental and heritage engagement through the arts for the Tees Valley. The overall aim of the project is to raise awareness of and increase public access to key areas of outstanding natural heritage within the sub-region.
Green TV will see artists working alongside conservation site workers and teachers delivering a diverse range of exciting arts based activities engaging primary school pupils, their families and the wider community with local natural heritage and wildlife sites across the Tees Valley.
Following a launch event at the beginning of May, residencies in the first five of ten schools in the first year are about to commence in late May, running through to the end of July.


Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, Ivor Crowther said:
“Our natural heritage is something to be proud of; we have some of the most beautiful landscapes and wildlife in the country. This project is a great way to get everyone involved in the environment in a fun and creative way, preserving it for the future. With it being the International Year of Biodiversity, this project has come at a great time! The HLF is dedicated to supporting local communities learn about all aspects of their heritage through initiatives like this. “
Artists Lindsay Duncanson, Adrian Moule, Tony Charles, Paul Dolan and Kev Howard will be working with pupils from Abingdon Primary School, Middlesbrough, Gurney Pease Primary School, Darlington, Whitecliffe Primary School, Carlin How, Lynnfield Primary School, Hartlepool and Yarm Primary School.
The nature sites that will be studied are Maze Park Nature Reserve near the Tees Barrage, The Whinnies Nature Reserve at Middleton St George, Coatham Marsh Nature Reserve, Redcar, North Gare and Seaton Dunes, Hartlepool and RSPB Saltholme.
The project is co-ordinated by Tees Valley Arts in partnership with Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, RSPB Saltholme, Darlington Borough Council, Teesmouth Field Centre and Tees Archaeology.
Joe Dunne, Heritage & Environment Officer at Tees Valley Arts commented “I am absolutely thrilled that this exciting project is about to commence. We are really looking forward to working together with artists and wildlife partners to really engage and enthuse the young people and their families with their rich local natural heritage.“
For more information about the project, please visit www.teesvalleyarts.org.uk/greentv.html

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