Changing Relations

Home
United Kingdom
Durham
Changing Relations

We are an arts education and training company that provokes thinking around gender equality, gender

24/04/2026

here

After years of seeing disinvestment in the arts across our education system - not seen as the best choice to lead young people into the careers we supposedly want within our economy - I was cautiously optimistic to read this article citing Alan Milburn's current review into young people and work -

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/apr/20/exam-obsessed-school-system-unprepared-work-alan-milburn

This bit in particular jumped out at me -

"He also argued that in a fast-changing labour market, schools needed to do more to equip young people with “communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity” alongside formal qualifications."

Creativity you say?!?

I would so love for our education system to fall back in love with arts subjects.

Whether or not they lead to a career in the culture sector...

(side note - this is a sector that makes a valid contribution to our economy 😊)
.. there are some really important skills for life (and work) that are developed through art, music, drama, creative writing, design...

They allow us to use our brain in different ways. To take an explorative approach that is useful for problem-solving. To see things from different perspectives, which enables ideas for new approaches to entrenched problems.

At Changing Relations we love to use the arts as the tool for exploring tricky topics because it feels less didactic, that we're not telling people how to think on subjects they tend to have strong feelings about.

But we also know that the very act of developing a young person's creative muscle is valuable to their ability to think in a workplace context where reproducing knowledge is just not enough.

More arting please!!!!!

22/04/2026

Come and join us!!!

This is just a little reminder of the deadline for submitting applications to join our Board as a Non-Exec Director with a view to becoming a Trustee as we transition to charitable status.

Please send a written application...

🕰️ by midnight on Mon 4 May

📧 to lisa@changingrelations.co.uk
..telling us why you are interested in joining our Board, outlining the key skills, understanding, and experience you could bring to our organisation in no more than 600 words.

The rest of the blurb is here - https://changingrelations.co.uk/board-recruitment-2026/

Credit to for the lovely illustrations showing our current Board who will be sifting through everything that comes our way 😄

Looking forward to hearing from you folks!

20/04/2026

Kate here...

In the coming weeks we have reflection days with the educators (teachers, youth workers, pastoral staff, creative facilitators) that we have been working with on our A is for Amy – Sometimes it Hurts project.

I am trying to prepare these days to make sure that we can learn the absolute most we can from them. Prepping for things like this feels like it shouldn’t be all that time consuming, but it really is. I realise that I am trying to distil a huge amount of information that sits in my head into a format that will facilitate discussion. It’s so important that we all think about the good and the bad…and the things which are just OK too.

I’m also speaking to some of the children and young people about their assessment of the programme so that their perspective can be woven in too (on top of the observations that have been made along the way of their engagement and the things they have said). If I’m honest – these conversations are some of my favourites because they really know how to tell it how it is! 🙃

The careful consideration, the different perspectives – this is what makes sure that we can create an education programme that really meets the needs of the children and young people participating in it and the educators who will deliver it.

[Image shows one of my favourite reflections, it's an art work at Baltic in Gateshead and it makes me smile every time I visit. The mirror is placed at the bottom of their stairwell and the further you go up the more endless the stairs look in the mirror]

17/04/2026

It was a real pleasure to attend the conference at the fabulous Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art yesterday, together with the awesome girls from Creative Youth Opportunities who have been involved in our A is for Amy coproduction (and who were VERY pleased with our fancy waffle breakfast on arrival!).

Conference compere Dr Jordan Mullard did an amazing job at integrating young people's voices at every step of the way, respecting the principle that "if a policy is going to affect us - include us".

We heard from some brilliant young people from XP Gateshead who had conducted detailed research to inform a set of powerful socio-political critiques, including the wonderful line - "deprivation is the thief of a healthy life" - that really echoed the perspective Alice Wiseman MBE had shared in setting the Public Health framework for the day - "Why treat people and send them back to the conditions that made them sick?"

We were so proud of the girls contributing to a Youth Panel on the stage in front of the whole conference, as well as co-delivering our workshop on what adults need to understand in order to support young people affected by Teenage Relationship Abuse.

Kate Gorman did sterling work as she stood by our posters explaining our A is for Amy and Weaving Stories projects to fellow delegates.

And it was lovely to be able to reconnect with Dr Janelle Rabe in her new Public Health role, given she played such a crucial role in the Weaving Stories project we were representing.

Well dones and thank yous all round 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

Gateshead Council Newcastle University

10/04/2026

The next workshop in the Invisible Visible series we have developed together with artist Hope Caitlin is open to book folks.

Invisible Visible is a digital exhibition exploring disability and the barriers to workplace inclusion, featuring conceptual photography and illustrations inspired by seven anonymous first-hand accounts of what it is like to be disabled in the workplace.

Take a look here - https://stories.durham.ac.uk/invisible-visible/

Our workshop will use the Invisible Visible artwork as a creative way to explore our understanding of disability in the workplace, considering the challenges faced by those with experience of disability but also the unique contribution they are able to make.

The focus this time is on those in a Management position and aims to help you reimagine disability and create a workplace culture that enables all of your staff to thrive.

Huge thanks to for hosting this in-person workshop -

🏛️ in the lovely Learning Centre attached to the Palace Green Library

🕰️ on Tuesday 2nd June from 12 - 2pm

Book your place and you will be the lucky recipient of a gorgeous (FREE!!) workbook filled with Hope's artwork, our participants' lived experience testimony and plenty of space to note your reflections.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/invisible-visible-management-workshop-tickets-1985058992884

08/04/2026

We're so excited about getting to feature our fabulous projects A is for Amy and Weaving Stories at the conference next week.

Look at these lovely posters has designed for us!!!

will be standing by them ready to chat whilst co-presents a workshop on A is for Amy with the fab girls.

So if you're there, make sure to come and say hello!

05/04/2026

here

After my week supporting the lovely people in the pic to deliver forced marriage-themed workshops in Teesside, I want to highlight that, in our Board recruitment, it is really important to us that we bring in a wider variety of perspectives to support the development of our work.

Why?

This week highlighted the layers of experience women from racially minoritised cultures are navigating - imagine you have left an abusive husband then, when you go out, you are racially harassed by men in the street in front of your children - the sense of threat & lack of safety ANYWHERE.

We had already recognised the need to diversify the voices around the table, to support us notice our blind spots about the stories that need to be told & perspectives that need to be represented in our work.

This amplified my sense of its importance.

At a recent event, I was struck by the articulation - it's not enough not to be racist - to reduce the racism living & breathing in our society, we must be proactively anti-racist.

Anti-racist practice is an active area of our evolution & we would truly welcome applications to our board from people from a range of cultural backgrounds.

✨ Please look at our recruitment document - https://changingrelations.co.uk/board-recruitment-2026/

✨ You're welcome to book an informal call with me if you'd like to understand more before applying. Email to check availability - lisa@changingrelations.co.uk

✨ The deadline for written applications is midnight on Mon 4 May. Please tell us why you're interested in joining our Board & outline the key skills, understanding & experience you could bring to our organisation in no more than 600 words. We’re interested in learning more about you & your wider knowledge & experience. Send to lisa@changingrelations.co.uk

✨ We will review all written applications & confirm whether you have been invited to our recruitment event by the end of the day Fri 15 May

✨ We will hold a recruitment event on Fri 19 June at 11am–3pm, lunch provided, with an informal gathering & individual interview

Please share with anyone you think would be a good fit for us!

03/04/2026

Here you can see our MD with the fabulous girls - Liv and Freyja - getting ready to co-facilitate a workshop on our toxic teen relationship-themed film, A is for Amy at the Brighter Futures conference being hosted over the Easter holidays by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and .

The girls were very clear that they wanted the focus of our workshop to be on what adults need to understand in order to be able to support young people who are affected by these kinds of traumatic experiences.

In the picture here we are painstakingly checking through the film to identify the clips the girls want to show to help illustrate the points they want to make.

Our favourite bit of the session was when we discussed how we were going to manage in the tight timeframe we have. We wanted to be sure the girls felt comfortable to facilitate their segment and were tickled pink by Freyja's finger-wagging as she told us she would be very clear with the grown ups they were only allowed to say 1 thing each 😆 🤩

It is absolutely fabulous to see a conference focused on young people's health and wellbeing that has young people at its core, shaping the issues we should be talking about to set policy and develop projects that support them. And the girls are relishing the opportunity for their voices to be heard.

Massive kudos to for weaving this depth of coproduction into an academic conference. We are delighted to be involved.

And if anyone fancies taking a little peak at the brand new trailer for A is for Amy that lovely has magicked up for us, it is here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Rsvi6hB_o&feature=youtu.be

01/04/2026

For the past few months we have been supporting to develop workshops based around their forced marriage-themed play Firestorm which had premiered at Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre (Creative Hartlepool) before Christmas.

Transformers brought together organisations supporting minoritised communities across Teesside ( Project CIC Purple Rose Stockton Connect360 ) who worked together to identify objectives & develop activities, based around clips of the play.

We agreed to highlight:

✒️ that forced marriage is not promoted by religion but is a cultural practice

✒️ the similarities between forced marriage & domestic abuse

✒️ the punishments associated with both

✒️ the support available nationally & across Teesside

✒️ the barriers that get in the way of people from different cultures accessing support if they are experiencing this

We went on to deliver the co-designed workshops to the 3 community groups, ending with a session sharing what we had done with who had funded the work.

Here are some of the comments we received -

💖 "Proud this work exists & at the multi cultural approach."

💖 "I am sat in a room filled with love & acceptance & that feeling needs to be taken further into the world."

💖 "It's a wonderful initiative. Hope to have more of this."

💖 "I want to come again & learn more."

💖 "I am happy to learn new information. I want to stand up for my right. I want to speak out when I am not happy."

💖 "I am very happy seeing different communities coming together & talking to each other."

💖 "Feeling happy because I am exposed to some laws I know nothing about before now. I am a woman whose voice must be heard. I can not be silenced and ignored."

It was an intense & powerful week. Alongside the lovely comments & sense that we had empowered community members with important information, there were also distressing stories of the racism some of our participants experience daily, often in front of their children, leaving them frightened & anxious.

In light of this, it was brilliant to see the will of the police & community organisations in Hartlepool to come together & create a more inclusive town.

31/03/2026

here

Reflecting on our fab Chris Drinkwater award via & Child Health & Wellbeing Network, I want to take a moment to build a picture of how a programme like this is built over time, in multiple iterations, in response to feedback, incorporating the effort of so many.

🐣 Delivering our Demystifying Domestic Abuse Workplace Learning in a school, we observed anxiety about triggering young people who might be affected & realised the need to capture "the child's view!"

🐤 Working with Creative Producer .Turner_21 Writer Illustrator & developed Sometimes it Hurts (in 2020!) to capture young people's tricky experiences & adult responses to this. Watch - https://youtu.be/0_egKFkh7dg?si=6UeTBQNUOcL753zr

🐤 We trialed the stories with young people at & & a group of professionals to gage responses & consider the next steps of development.

🐥 This led to the Rabbits in Headlights project, where .R.88 & came on board to develop activities around the stories to enable teachers to use them to open conversation with young people they realised were affected.

🐥 Several schools supported this development, with their young people testing activities, commissioning further illustrations & guiding the development of a website designed to house the stories - https://sometimesithurts.org.uk/

🐥 Partner schools tested the activities, fed back on what they needed to support their capacity to deliver them; whilst we developed & tested CPD to provide background understanding of the issue & build familiarity with the stories & activities we had designed.

🐦 In the latest stage has joined to shape & test Sometimes it Hurts KS2 schemes of work with additional schools & youth groups, in a complex programme managed by

So you can see why it is so wonderful to be recognised at this point - so much effort from so many has gone in to developing it over quite a number of years!

To everyone who has been involved in any way - thank you 🥰

27/03/2026

🎉We’re absolutely delighted to announce that Sometimes it Hurts has won the Chris Drinkwater Award for Creative Health in Primary Schools 25-26.🎉

Sometimes it Hurts uses fictionalised stories and creative activities to enable teachers and children to engage in sensitive, age-appropriate conversations about domestic abuse and neglect leading to increased emotional literacy, regulation and expression and improved access to support.

Thank you to the children, artists, teachers, schools, youth groups and funders who have made this possible. A particular thanks to Joanne Murray from Copeland Road Primary School in West Auckland for partnering with us in the award application.

Thank you to North East Museums and the North East and North Cumbria Child Health and Wellbeing Network for selecting us for this award.

Sometimes it Hurts has been funded by Arts Council England , The National Lottery Community Fund , Gaunless Gateway, Stanley Area Action Partnership, Bishop Auckland and Shildon Area Action Partnership, Great Aycliffe and Middridge Area Action Partnership, Point North, Durham University , Paul Hamlyn Foundationn Foundation, North East Combined Authority , Core 20 Plus, and Barbour.

24/03/2026

[ here]

Sometimes I fall down a comms black hole where I completely lose the head space for connecting with the world in this digital arena.

Beyond posting about our board recruitment, I'm conscious of having fallen silent since our fabulous A is for Amy big screen premiere.

In reality, that's largely because so much of my comms energy is taken up at the moment with in-person conversations and writing content for other arenas.

So I thought I'd do a little summary of all the things I'm up to, to give a flavour of what's going on behind-the-scenes at Changing Relations!

In the last couple of weeks, I've been -

💥 drafting funding proposals

💥 writing copy for our new website (which is oh so nearly ready to share with you all)

💥 reviewing the look of the pages as my colleague enters the content

💥 talking to potential partners for our Don't Look Away project

💥 lining up interviews for our Navigating Vulnerability project

💥 working with our designer to prepare posters for an academic conference we're participating in

💥 talking to team members and sector peers about business strategy

💥 preparing resources for workshop delivery we're leading for a partner organisation

💥 checking in with our students about their work placement module progress

💥 planning an engagement event with an Associate Artist

💥 conducting a site visit to work out the details of an artistic residency

💥 talking to various potential collaborators across the culture, youth and higher education sectors

That's a lot of conversations!!!

No wonder I ran out of social media steam 😊

Image credit

Address

Studio 18, Ushaw Historic House, Chapel And Gardens
Durham
DH77DW

Telephone

+447815837034

Website

http://www.changingrelations.co.uk/contact-us/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Changing Relations posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Changing Relations:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Durham?

What We Do

Changing Relations C.I.C. is an arts-based education and training company that challenges thinking around gender norms, gender equality and healthy relationships, using creative methods to provide original educational and training resources.

We work with artists, communities and experts to produce powerful content in a range of art forms to engage audiences and participants; from film, music, theatre and dance to creative writing and visual arts.

We address topical and sensitive subjects, such as domestic abuse, male mental health and sexting risks, in an accessible way, giving a voice to those people who have been affected and generating public and professional understanding.