Gateshead Creative Crawl Bee Yourself 2026
15 June - 1 September 2026
Bee Yourself was a collaborative creative project with children and young people across Gateshead, exploring identity, belonging and, above all, courage.
Vane and Orbis Community developed and curated the project with Northeast Creative Network, Gateshead Council, its EMTAS (Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service) and Schools of Sanctuary network, Gateshead Central Library and local schools. Together, the partners created a project rooted in making Gateshead a safe, welcoming and inclusive place where people of all ages and backgrounds could take part, express themselves and feel that they belonged. Children were invited to respond to the question, “What makes you feel yourself in Gateshead?”, creating drawings and ideas that were then used to transform the familiar Gateshead Creative Crawl boxes into colourful beehive-inspired installations.
The finished boxes were placed throughout Gateshead Central Library as a free creative trail. Each contained stamps, activities, prompts and opportunities for visitors to leave behind a message, story, picture or thought for somebody else to discover. Local schools played an important part in shaping the project, with children creating artwork, exploring what courage meant to them and contributing ideas that were incorporated into the finished boxes.
The project was originally intended to be a short installation during June. However, the response from children, families and visitors, and particularly the number and quality of messages being left in the boxes, led Vane and Orbis Community to extend the project throughout the summer until the end of the school holidays.
One message described courage as being “like a muscle because we strengthen it with our use”. Another compared it to a flower that continues to grow while battling against a storm. Others spoke about standing up for a friend, trying something for the first time, speaking in front of people, facing a fear or simply continuing when things become difficult. What became particularly powerful was that there was no single definition of courage.
“Out of all the Gateshead Creative Crawls we have created, Bee Yourself really showed how much people can inspire and encourage one another. Every message left behind was a small act of kindness, helping somebody else feel braver, safer or simply less alone. It reminded me that creating a safe and inclusive community is not something any one organisation or person can do on their own. We are stronger when we work together, share ideas and give each other the courage to keep going.” Orbis Community
