2026 artists for Land of Lead and Silver project

The North Pennines National Landscape team has appointed an artist-in-residence and awarded three community arts bursaries for 2026, as part of the Land of Lead and Silver project.

The project has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to National Lottery players, and Historic England and will run to December 2027, working with volunteers and local communities to unearth the stories of lead and silver mining in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark.

The artist-in-residence, James Gillespie and Máiréad Kerr with Alston Folk Choir, and the artists undertaking the bursaries, Katharine Goda, Louise Taylor, and Haltwhistle Film Project and Susie Tate, will offer workshops across the North Pennines National Landscape to take a new and exciting look at the lead and silver mining heritage of the area and engage people with the industrial heritage in creative and accessible ways.

Artist-in-residence:
James Gillespie and Máiréad Kerr with Alston Folk Choir aim to paint a lasting sonic picture of the North Pennines with its hidden history embedded in the industrial landscape, its flora and fauna, its people and its many moods. They are inspired to explore song and composition in the folk tradition, compose choral work for mixed choirs, create a community choral piece with Alston Moor schools, and to use recording technology to create an audio documentary. Their project will include public performances and singing sessions, a day-long singing workshop and guided walk, and guided walks with children from Alston Moor schools using their poetic responses to create a choral piece.

Bursary artists:
Katharine Goda, will be working with Durham Fed Schools to undertake creative writing inspired by lead and silver mining heritage of the North Pennines. The activities will explore what is hidden that is precious, in landscape, communities, in us, how does the place we live shape us, and how can we transform elements into something new.

Louise Taylor will be working with Jack Drum Arts photographing caliminarian grasslands and creating botanical field guides.

Haltwhistle Film Project and Susie Tate will be integrating dance and animation to celebrate and understand the landscape and mining processes of the North Pennines through workshops with About Being (stroke recovery and Parkinson’s group), and FilmAble (production company run by people with learning disabilities).

The Land of Lead and Silver project has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England and will run to December 2027, working with volunteers and local communities to unearth the stories of lead and silver mining in the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark.