Inspiration Exploration

Inspiration Exploration is a creative partnership which brings together The Blyth Tall Ship and Headway Arts, two of Northumberland’s most visionary organisations.

Two hundred years ago The Williams was a tall ship built and owned by Captain William Smith, a man born and raised in Blyth. During a trading voyage he discovered Antarctica but was never credited with the discovery. The Williams Expedition aims to restore a working tall ship as the Williams II in Blyth, then to recreate the original expedition with a local crew sailing her south to Cape Horn and Antarctica 200 years after the original discovery.

Headway Arts create highly inclusive participatory projects which offer world-class opportunities for people to contribute to the cultural life of their communities. To help celebrate and champion this important local hero, Headway Arts have devised a comprehensive arts programme with The Blyth Tall Ship beginning Spring/Summer 2018 which creatively tells the Williams Story.

 

BLUE FLAG – SUNDAY 19 AUGUST 2018

An installation of over 600 handmade blue sailcloth flags illustrating this journey of discovery to Antarctica made by Williams. Headway Artsworked with local people using exciting cyanotype photoreactive and printmaking techniques on the coast creating an ephemeral flurry of colour and movement.

Flags appeared along the tideline near to Blyth’s iconic beach huts on Sunday 19 August 2018.

 

 View the Blue Flag project page for photos & videos of the workshops and the event.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of all our funders which recently includes:

  • Architectural Heritage Fund
  • Arts Council England
  • Blyth Town Council
  • Community Foundation
  • Edward Gostling Foundation – RW Mann Trust – Shears Foundation
  • Erasmus+
  • Hadrian Trust – High Sheriff of Northumberland – Rothley Trust
  • Henry Smith
  • Heritage Fund
  • National Lottery Community Fund
  • Northumberland County Council
  • Postcode Community Trust
  • Scope
  • Sir James Knott Trust
  • The 1989 Willan Trust – Wellesley Trust
  • the Coalfields Regeneration Trust
  • This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
  • This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – North of Tyne Combined Authority