A dry stone walling taster day gave young people the chance to lay the foundations for a new set of skills.

Five members of the Daleforce project took part in the event at Killhope: the North of England Lead Mining Museum.

The group picked up tips and techniques from qualified instructors during the one-day introductory course run by the Northumbria branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association.

Michael Boase, Killhope manager, said: “The work carried out by the Daleforce group and other participants of the course has left us with a fantastic wall that fits perfectly with the rest of the site and improves security. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

“The fact that the young people were so interested shows that dry stone walling is far from a dying art. We are now looking forward to running further courses in the future.

Daleforce gives teenagers in the Teesdale, Weardale and Allendale areas the opportunity to create, plan, deliver and take part in cultural and outdoor activities. It is part of NE-Generation and is funded by Legacy Trust UK.

Projections onto Malvern Priory

Surprise dance performances will appear in empty shop windows this winter. Dancers from Dancefest will create a ‘wintry world’ for passers by, appearing on Friday 2 December at Worcester Christmas Fayre and Saturday 10 December at Tenbury Lantern and Santa Parade.

The dancers will be accompanied by digital projections of dancers and mysterious creatures, which will magically appear on buildings around Worcester, Tenbury and Malvern.

The performances are part of 12 Moves, the largest dance project to have ever taken place in Worcestershire. It is produced by Dancefest, the dance agency for Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Over three years, thousands of people are being given the opportunity to participate and experience dance and digital art in unusual settings. 12 Moves culminates in an outdoor spectacular event in Worcester on 24 March 2012.

Charlotte Brennan, 12 Moves Project Manager, said: “Our dancers will create a magical world that will catch passers-by with surprise. Putting dance into shop windows is a great way of using empty spaces, bringing some new life to our High Streets.”

12 Moves is part of Dancing for the Games, the programme inspired by London 2012 and part of the Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands. It has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, as well as Arts Council England and Advantage West Midlands.

Performance times and venues:

Friday 2 December, approx 6.45pm: Worcester Christmas Fayre
Saturday 3 December, approx 4.45pm: Worcester Christmas Fayre
Saturday 10 December, approx 3.45pm: Tenbury Santa and Lantern Parade

Digital projections to appear in Malvern on Saturday 3 December during the Christmas Lights Switch On.

Olympics chief Lord Coe has thanked the people of Lincolnshire for backing a programme of events around the county which have been held as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
 
The Igniting Ambition Lincolnshire Showcase has been running across the county for the past six months and has featured events as diverse as community knitting sessions, the appointment of Lincolnshire's own Poet Laureate, the digital arts festival Frequency and a celebration of all things 'normal'.
 
Lord Coe’s message was relayed to the organisers of the 12 events which made up the showcase at a celebration gathering held at the Holiday Inn Express in Lincoln on Thursday (November 17).
 
It said: “Your support for the Cultural Olympiad through the London 2012 Inspire programme is much appreciated. The London 2012 Games will be a fantastic spectacle but it's about so much more than the Games themselves.

“Projects like those which have taken place in Lincolnshire have helped to inspire people, which is a fundamental aim of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
 
 
The team behind the Showcase has been delighted with its success. “This has been an amazing way for people in Lincolnshire to connect with the Olympics and Paralympics,” said David Lambert, director of Lincoln-based cultural solutions, (note to subs – lower case c and s are corr) which managed the Showcase on behalf of the county council and other funders.

“The diverse range of events has included knitting, children’s theatre, literature, street performance, digital art and music.

“All 12 have had one thing in common – they created art that travels through Lincolnshire’s landscape, giving as many people as possible the chance to appreciate it and, more importantly, join in.
 
“We were always mindful of the leaving a significant legacy in the county and the fact that thousands of people took part and many went on to form lasting connections which will result in more events in the future is a great achievement in the run-up to 2012.”

Paul Brookes from Igniting Ambition told the audience the morning he spent hearing about the Lincolnshire projects was one of the most inspirational he’s had in the four years he’s  been  involved with the Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands.

And Wendy Hutchinson from Lincolnshire County Council added: “Igniting Ambition has really lived up to its title in so many ways for people across the county.”
 
 The programme, which had the theme Connecting Communities, began in April and featured 12 events – Knit2Gether, the Lincolnshire Golden Threads (Poet Laureate and Lincoln Hay Day), The Lyric Lounge in Stamford, Lincoln and Alford, The Trivia of Eccentric England, First Light on Tour, The Charter of the Forest, The Labours Astronomical Dance, Beam! International in Lincoln, soundSPORT, Moving Colour and Games Time at the SO Festival in Skegness, Dark Materials at Tattershall Castle, Sa Fire in North Kesteven and the Frequency digital arts festival in Lincoln.

Igniting Ambition is a programme for the East Midlands funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to create a cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the European Regional Development Fund and the East Midlands Development Agency, with the support of Arts Council England and many others.