Connected Communities: Stories and Cultural Practices in Darlington

15–21 June 2026

As part of  REFUGEE WEEK in Darlington we invite you to a week of exhibitions, events, and film screenings celebrating the stories, creativity, and cultures that shape Darlington today. Bringing together work created by local residents – including migrants and long-term communities – the programme explores themes of home, belonging, and shared experience through art, storytelling, and film.

Everyone is welcome – come along, explore, and connect.

 Connected Communities is led by the Institute for Collective Place Leadership at Teesside University in collaboration with Creative Darlington, Centre for Local Studies, Hopetown Darlington, The Forum Music Studios, and Darlington Assistance for Refugees, and is supported by the AHRC Impact Acceleration Account and Creative Darlington. In partnership with the Stockton and Darlington Railway 26 miles Heritage Project and funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Home Away From Home 

The fictional documentary film produced by artist Azadeh Fatehrad explores the shared human experiences of migration, homemaking, and integration. This 40-minute film reflects on a series of participatory aesthetic workshops conducted in Sweden, the UK, and Denmark from 2020 to 2024, in partnership with NGOs and facilitators. Generously supported by NordForsk, the film is a collaboration between Azadeh Fatehrad and the Baltic Art Center Visby, Compass Collective, ActionAid Denmark, alongside Kingston University, Lund University in Sweden and Roskilde University in Denmark

Run Time: 40 minutes

Age Certification: U 

Director: Azadeh Fatehrad

• Tickets: Free, please register for your ticket below 
• Doors From: 6:30PM
•  Film Starts 7:00PM (Approximately)
•  (Under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult)
• Seated Event 
• Before attending please read our Covid-19 Disclaimer and check out our Venue Info Page