Receiving the Dover Prize would allow me to develop the project ‘If These Walls Could Talk’ (working title): a poetry-led sound walk and visual art project that brings Darlington’s past and present to life through site-specific installations, community storytelling, and spoken word.
The bursary would support a year-long period of focused research, creative development and deep community engagement. I would use the funding to:
– Spend dedicated time gathering and recording interviews with local residents (both long-time and newer voices) to develop an archive of stories which reflect Darlington’s evolving identity.
– Collaborate with local creatives and technicians to create a series of immersive poetic soundscapes which will be accessible through QR codes placed around selected Darlington locations including South Park, The Hippodrome, Bellburn Community Allotment etc.
– Create site-responsive visual artworks (temporary illustrated installations) which complement the sound pieces and connect viewers/ listeners to place.
– Facilitate ‘workshops’ and ‘consultancy sessions’ with community groups to gather responses and co-create artistic responses.
– Develop an illustrated poetry book which uses the poetry from the soundwalk.
– Develop a second body of work responding to participants’ reflections on the soundwalk and artwork trail.
– Stage a final exhibition and live performance event which shares both the original soundwalk materials and the new work inspired by community feedback.
This award would allow me to significantly push and develop my creative practice, providing me with the chance to experiment further with sound and installation at a larger scale. It would also deepen my commitment to socially engaged practice, which is core to my personal and professional ethos. Nothing about us without us – to celebrate a community, its voices must be heard. Storytelling is not just an artistic output, it is an active process of exchange, a method of maintaining wellbeing and a way to actively save local cultural heritage. I see this as an opportunity to build a model for participatory, poetic placemaking that could both celebrate and support the communities of Darlington.
‘If These Walls Could Talk’ will raise the profile of creative arts in Darlington by turning the town itself into a living, interactive gallery where poetry, illustration and sound invite residents and visitors to see familiar spaces through a new lense. The project will celebrate local history while platforming contemporary voices, showing how the stories of today echo those of the past. The past we inherit, the future we build.
Through public installations, free soundwalk access, and events in partnership with local venues such as Darlington Library, the Hippodrome and Theatre Hullabaloo, this project will make creative work visible and accessible to the community. By archiving community interviews and reactions, the work creates a lasting cultural resource and encourages continued storytelling and engagement beyond the life of the project. There is an accessible legacy for the people living in this area.
This work will also demonstrate how ambitious, interdisciplinary projects can grow from within the region, blending creativity with deep-rooted connection to place. By involving local people in both the creation and experience of the work, it aims to ignite pride, curiosity and a sense of ownership in the arts across Darlington.
I am a poet, performer, and picture maker born in Darlington, based in County Durham and working across the North. I am a multidisciplinary artist working within the intersection of visual art, storytelling, and social engagement. At the heart of my practice is a need to collect and share stories, especially those deeply rooted in local community, heritage, and place. I often describe my work as non-traditional portraiture. Instead of using human likeness, I illustrate snippets, thoughts and places of importance to individuals and groups in order to reveal the lived experience of those communities. These artworks often take the form of fine liner illustrations which have been collaged and digitally manipulated to capture those moments, memories, and meaningful places. My process is grounded in dialogue and research. I spend a lot of time listening to, and talking with, community members to understand what matters most to them. These conversations guide my creative work and ensure it is informed, respectful, and reflective of those I collaborate with. I approach each project with care and ethics, ensuring that stories are shared with consent, and that contributors are credited and protected appropriately. In addition to visual work, I write and perform spoken word poetry. This strand of my practice often materialises as immersive soundscapes, outdoor performances, and intimate theatre pieces. Whether through image or language, I aim to create work that holds space for personal and collective histories, celebrating the richness and complexity of people’s lived experiences. Exhibitions, books, and performances are the platforms through which I share this work, always with the intent to honour the storytellers and invite audiences to see, hear, and feel the depth of the stories held within each piece. Solo exhibitions over the past 12 months: – Circe’s Island @ Newcastle College & Theatre Hullabaloo 2025
– Trailways @ Locomotion 2024
– Now, Then @ Darlington Crown Street Gallery 2024
– Portrait of a Wellness Worker @ Redcar Palace Gallery 2024
I have a 1st Class (hons) undergraduate degree in Illustration for Commercial Application from The Northern School of Art in Hartlepool.
Won – Visual Artist of the Year awarded by North East Culture Awards 2023.
Nominated – Newcomer of the Year by North East Culture Awards 2021.
DYCP ACE Grant in 2024 for Writing for Print/ Visual Display.
North East Artist Network Micro Grant 2023.
I am part of the STRIKE collective, supporting and co-facilitating and co-creating creative opportunities sound the North East.
I am a producer and facilitator for a range of project which create professional opportunities, including Circe’s Island and Trailways.
I have been commissioned as an artist by Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, South Tyneside Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Stockton Council and Newcastle Council.
Durham University commissioned and purchased a bespoke artwork for display in The Ogden Centre and their collection. Spirals, 2025.
Auckland Castle commissioned and purchased a bespoke portrait for temporary display in the castle and their collection. Bilhah, 2023.
Residencies:
S&DR200 – Poet in Residence
Durham Creative Community Fellow
Newcastle Library X Poet in the City – Poet in Residence
Newcastle Cathedral – Artist in Residence
Sunderland University X Seascapes – Artist in Residence
Durham University Josephine Butler College – Artist in Residence
South Tyneside Libraries Artist in Residence
Hartlepool Waterfront Festival Associate Artist
ARC Artist of Change / Weston Jerwood Creative Bursary
DSFC / Dead Dog Art Gallery – Artist in Residence
Email: lizzielovejoy@gmail.com
Address: 10 Eldon Close, Newton Aycliffe, Durham, DL5 5PY, GB
Local Authority: Durham County Council
