Funding pot helps young people celebrate North East's 'hidden' history

Live performances and an online trail will be created by the funding in Sunderland

The "hidden history" of different generations of LGBTQIA+ people in north-east England is among a number of projects to have won funding.

Six projects celebrating the heritage of the region will be led by young people as part of the Historic England programme.

It will see young people aged 13-25 find and celebrate their local history.

Three of the projects look at different generations of LGBTQIA+ people in Redcar, Newcastle and Sunderland.

Members of Redcar Peeps will look at the town's Pride past with a seafront artwork

Redcar Peeps is one of the groups receiving up to £15,000 to produce a piece of public art based around the theme of Pride past and present in Redcar.

After the town was found to have a seemingly empty LGBTQIA+ archive, Tees Valley Arts wants the project to explore how sexual identity has always existed, especially within working-class coastal communities.

A similar project in Sunderland will see an online walking trail created by young people investigating the city's LGBTQIA+ history as well as its diverse musical past.

And in Newcastle, Curious Arts has received funding to connect younger people who may feel excluded from gay communities to share their stories with older generations.

A decision on the money was led by by a team of Historic England's new young advisors, who picked 11 projects from 40 submitted.

Sadia, one of the advisors, said: "As a young person, we hear about how important it is to have youth voice and youth inclusion, but often there is a lot of dictation and leadership from those who aren't young people.

"It can be hard to truly find an initiative that is for young people, with young people at the forefront."

The youngsters looking after an allotment near Hadrian's Wall hope to produce a sculpture

Other projects which will receive funding include a group of 11 young people who have been working on an allotment near Hadrian's Wall.

The Life of the Wall group will work with a member of staff from the Tyne & Wear Museums to explore the history of the wall.

A group in Seaham will research the town's characters, other than the poet Lord Byron who married a local Lord's daughter. Plaques will be used to commemorate other notables who made the town what it is.

In South Shields, AutismAble will investigate the mining history of Westoe as the group's centre stands on the original site of the colliery.

Ellen Harrison from Historic England said: "These projects will improve young people's wellbeing by encouraging a sense of pride in their local place and enabling them to gain new skills and confidence."