St Mark's Church in Darlington welcomed more than 200 people as it hosted A Million Dreams - an art competition and exhibition for local schools.
The exhibition was part of St Mark’s mission to engage with families in the parish and was supported by Durham Diocese, with the award of a microgrant for the event. The grant proved invaluable, enabling the church, on North Road, to recognise the talents of young people.
Schools including Harrowgate Hill, Springfield Academy, Northwood Primary and Haughton Academy exhibited 102 works of art, depicting their hopes and dreams for themselves, their community and the planet.
The local MP Lola McEvoy and the Mayor and Mayoress of Darlington lent their support to the event and were extremely impressed with the quality of art on display. Competition judge, Steve Howell, local artist and trustee of Bowes Museum selected the overall winner while those attending the exhibition had the chance to vote for their favourite works of art.
The Revd Caroline Ferguson, who organised the competition, said: “St Mark’s have been working hard to explore new ways of reaching out to the community. The art competition was a fantastic way for the church to engage with children and families and inspire them to express themselves artistically and encourage aspiration.
"Not only was it a wonderful experience for them but it also brought a lot of joy to the community. It was a lot of hard work but I would urge other churches to think about doing something similar as it was a truly inspirational experience for everyone involved. Many of those who came along to the competition have joined us for Christmas services and we have plans to build on this event by working with local schools on various projects in 2025”.
The Art Shop in Darlington generously agreed to frame the overall winner’s work for display in Darlington Art Gallery. The event was also generously supported by Whitehouse Funeral Services, (who donated all of the catering), Seaton Leng Funeral Services, The Co-op Funeral Service, Morrisons, and Durham Diocese.
The overall winner of the competition was Emily aged nine of Northwood Primary. Emily’s work will be displayed in Darlington Art Gallery between 20th December and 20th February 2025. Emily received a trophy, certificate and art shop vouchers. The funds raised will enable us to continue to develop projects to support the health and well being of our local community.