Students in Years 7 and 8 have had the chance to participate in a practical workshop featuring games and drama activities with the award-winning performance artist, Victoria Melody. Victoria is the artist in residence for the Shildon-based project called PLACE Lab.

Along with her producer Faith, Victoria met with students from Shildon to talk to them about a free summer performance activity, co-created with young people and using heritage as a theme to inspire futures. All students were given the opportunity to sign up. The mission of PLACE Labs is to promote change at a local level in towns and communities across County Durham, with each PLACE Lab taking a community-centred approach to culture and regeneration. By directly engaging with the community, residents become empowered to get involved in decision-making, therefore shaping the future of their places. To achieve this, five PLACE Labs have been established across the County, and one of these is in Shildon, hence the workshop with Victoria at King James.