A group of resettled teenagers displayed their artwork at a showcase event in Peterlee on Thursday 5th September.

The individuals are from families who are part of County Durham’s Humanitarian Aid programme and have been resettled in homes across East Durham. The Young People have been engaged in the East Durham Creates project which is funded by Arts Council England and hosted by local charity East Durham Trust.

Originating from Syria and Iraq, the young people have been using the Arts to increase this English Language and communication skills prior to commencing courses at East Durham College later this month.

To celebrate and showcase some of their art East Durham Creates hosted a celebration event with the families and the local community at Horden and Peterlee Rugby Club attended by over 80 people.

The event included a pop up exhibition of their artwork, food created by the families and music performances from Stories of Sanctuary, a community music project bringing people from different backgrounds together with song who hosted an open rehearsal from 3-5pm for people wanting to join the performance. This was attended by a range of local young people, many of whom brought along their own instruments to join in.

Malcolm Fallow, Chief Executive of the East Durham Trust, the local charity which manages East Durham Creates said “The event celebrates the artwork that the young people have created but also acts as a perfect opportunity to welcome these resettled families into the local community.”