Thousands of people came together for a community arts event which put Bishop Auckland in the spotlight.
Dali: Surreal Worlds took over the town centre on Friday 28 October with a stunning and immersive display incorporating larger-than-life light installations, collaborative exhibitions, a street art trail, and a programme of exhilarating live entertainment and creative workshops.
Inspired by the arrival of Salvador Dali’s masterpiece, Christ of Saint John of the Cross at The Auckland Project’s Spanish Gallery earlier this year, the event invited people to celebrate and explore the wonder and mystery of the unconscious mind.
On loan from Glasgow Life Museums, the painting will be on display alongside another masterpiece, El Greco’s Christ on the Cross until December 4th.
Dali: Surreal Worlds was developed to ‘bring the whole community to see the Dali’. Two large scale light installations, featuring the work and ideas of almost 200 local young people, offered a shining centrepiece to proceedings in the town’s Market Place and Auckland Tower for the afternoon-to-evening event.
The event took place alongside the popular Full Moon Market and saw more than four thousand people of all ages coming out to enjoy an exciting mix of culture, which also included entertainment from the Jack Drum Arts samba band, Runaway Samba; comedy walkabout troupe, Los Skankos and The Bubble Whisperer.
Meanwhile a Maker’s Market in The Auckland Project’s community venue, No.42 attracted around 1,500 people to browse the stalls, which were filled with the creations of local makers – and upwards of 400 people visited the Spanish Gallery to see the Dali painting in all its glory throughout proceedings.
Laura Roberts, Head of Engagement at the regeneration charity, said: “It was such a brilliant night which saw people from all over Bishop and beyond coming together to celebrate and soak up the wide range of cultural delights on offer.
“We’ve already had a wave of wonderful feedback from people who attended and took part in the event, with people telling us the event felt accessible and made them feel proud and connected to their community.”
The illuminating original Dome artwork for the Market Place was created by North East artist Stuart Langley who worked with 120 children from local schools and The Auckland Project’s Transformative Arts Officer, Jilly Johnston.
A second light installation, The Cross, which lit up Auckland Tower was created by local artist Jane Crawford with art students from Bishop Auckland College and funded by Create North.
Although Dali: Surreal Worlds was a one-off event, both light works can still be viewed and enjoyed.
The Cross will remain in Auckland Tower until November 13th while Stuart Langley’s Dome, has taken up residency in the Bishop’s Kitchen Courtyard at Auckland Castle and will remain there until November 27th.
Other artworks which continue to decorate the town include surreal street art created by graffiti collective Bish Vegas Legal Graff during a community ‘Big Paint’ gathering. The finished pieces can still be seen in the windows of local shops and businesses and a street art trail map can be collected from Auckland Tower.
Jilly Johnston said: “Dali: Surreal Worlds was developed to offer a community-wide celebration of having this iconic painting at the Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland.
“It has been wonderful to offer so many children and young people the chance to explore the work of Dali and encourage them to embrace their imaginations and to look at art and life in a different way.”
Dali: Surreal Worlds was delivered in partnership with Bridge Creative, a social enterprise which provides employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and autism to work on live events.
Jilly added: “We’re grateful to all our partners for making it possible for so many people to play their part in this project. It was an unforgettable and joyful evening.”
Dali: Surreal Worlds was an Auckland Project production delivered with support from Bishop Auckland Town Council and enabled by a grant from Arts Council England and the National Lottery.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
