What Do You Call Home?
Gain an insight into the places that create a sense of home for people in North East England through the work of artist Lizzie Lovejoy
By Arts Council England
Story curated by ARC Stockton
arc (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Seeking an Artist of Change
In October 2020 ARC launched a recruitment campaign seeking an Artist of Change; an artist from a working-class background working in any medium, who would embed themselves across the organisation for a year, with a brief to create work with and for the local community.
arc (2) (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
A journey that started in a national lockdown
In February 2021 ARC's building was closed due to the UK's second national COVID lockdown when Lizzie Lovejoy was announced as ARC’s Artist of Change.
Working class art piece eight (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Exploring what home means through people's favourite places
Lizzie began online conversations with their new colleagues during the UK's second COVID-19 lockdown. They learnt about the places ARC's team considered home and brought these places to life through a series of bold and colourful illustrations.
"There were fantastic stories, sometimes one-off moments where there was a specific and unique thing that happened, but usually it was a place that repeatedly brought joy and comfort to those who visited."
Lizzy Lovejoy
Riverside Stadium 1 (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Riverside Stadium - home to Middlesbrough Football Club
Chosen by Louise from ARC's marketing team, and an avid supporter of "The Mighty Boro" since attending her first match in 1989. The Stadium has been home to the team since 1995.
"It feels like a place I belong, like I'm part of a community, somewhere I'm me."
Cliff (2) (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Huntcliff at Saltburn by the Sea
One of the dominating landmarks of the Saltburn skyline, for Chloe from ARC's programming team it's the signal that home is just around the corner as she travels back there at the end of each day.
The Golden Smog 1 (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
The Golden Smog Micropub, Stockton on Tees
Selected by Patrick from ARC's marketing team.
"It's literally the size of somebody's living room, with an amazing selection of real ales on offer. And the people who run it, and the people who go are just the absolute best people. It's just proper mint."
Is home truly in one place, or can home travel with you?
In late 2021 Lizzie Lovejoy returned to exploring Home through their work, this time looking at what we can call home through the lens of movement, and through a sense of place.
Stockton Map (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Exploring what home is through maps
Lizzie began to explore home as a physical place and created a series of maps, as well images of iconic structures in those places.
This map shows Stockton on Tees, and includes the River Tees, as well as two railway lines; the Durham Coast Line and Tees Valley Line.
Tap to explore
Take a virtual tour of River Tees on Google Maps
stockton (2021) by Lizzie LovejoyArts Council England
Stockton Town Hall
Past uses for the town hall include a meeting place, a toll booth, an inn, a jail, a quarters for the 'Inspector of Nuisances', and as a residence for the Mayor.
Lizzie's work became a celebration of Northern places
"The North is full of so many beautiful things, it really is exciting to have the opportunity to celebrate them all – some I’ve seen before and some I haven’t, but they all have such fantastic stories behind them."
Lizzie Lovejoy
Adam filming Lizzie Lovejoy as part of the internship by Adam McLeanArts Council England
A Change of Perspective
Lizzie's illustrations represent the personal response of a working-class creative, firmly rooted in the North East, who combines the roles of storyteller, reportage artist and creative researcher within their practice.
Artwork by Lizzie Lovejoy. This story was curated by ARC Stockton as part of Arts Council England's Northern Stories collection.
Discover Lizzie's work exploring the meaning of family in Northern communities.
Explore Lizzie's work about working class identity and the part it plays in Northern identity.
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