ALB-Historic England-Place Marker Pilot: Heritage Activity Club (360G-cabinetoffice-G2-GA-2023061068902-22-23)

We will be appointing an artist to work with a group of up to 20 young people from the small former mining town of Willington, County Durham, to explore the more recent history of the town post the mining era. The group will collaborate on ideas and design of a place marker (form yet to be decided as it will require the young peoples input) with particular reference to the 1980s a period which saw a brief flourishing of leisure activities at the local authority-run Spectrum Leisure Centre in Willington. A renowned dry ski slope and thriving roller disco were just two of the popular activities that gained a county-wide reputation, before the leisure centre was closed by the council in 2002. Now privately owned, the Spectrum will be the site of a place marker which will commemorate its former glory and recognise the pioneering spirit of young people in the town following the demise of the coal industry.