Over the past two years, more than 15,000 people have taken part in Berwick Shines – but the real story of the programme isn’t just in the numbers.

It’s in the people who came together to create something new. The children who discovered a talent for making and performing. The stories of Berwick’s past that were brought back into view. The artists who spent time getting to know the town and its communities. And the relationships and creative opportunities that will continue long after the programme itself has come to an end.

Delivered by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust as part of the wider Living Barracks partnership, Berwick Shines has spent the last two years exploring Berwick’s heritage, landscape and stories through creativity — bringing artists, communities and local organisations together in the process.

Across the programme, The Maltings worked with 16 artists and delivered 135 engagement activities, with 91 projects, workshops and events taking place across 238 days. More than 15,000 people of all ages took part.

But what does that actually look like?

A town coming together

One of the defining moments of Berwick Shines was Berwick Parade, the programme’s first major commission with artist Matthew Rosier.

More than 800 local people took part, working alongside schools, Brownie groups, Berwick Rowing Club, the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, local choirs and community organisations to create a spectacular celebration of Berwick’s heritage.

The parade culminated at Berwick Barracks in February 2025, where it was watched by an audience of more than 2,000 people.

It was a brilliant example of what can happen when creativity gives a community something to make, share and celebrate together.

Telling the stories that have been overlooked

Berwick Shines has also created opportunities to look at the town’s history from different perspectives.

For Her Extraordinary Colours, artist Beth J Ross worked alongside local women to uncover the stories of remarkable women who have shaped Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth throughout history.

Those stories became twenty vibrant flags, displayed across the town and inviting people to think about whose stories are remembered in our public spaces – and whose might have been overlooked.

It was a project rooted in history, but very much about the present too: asking who we choose to celebrate and how we want our shared history to be seen.

Creativity that stays with people

Some of the most important work of Berwick Shines has happened away from the spotlight.

At Berwick Academy, artist Martha Ellis spent a year working with pupils, teachers and the wider school community through Heart and Soul. Together, they explored Berwick’s heritage through creativity, developed new artistic skills and created artwork that will remain at the school.

And the relationship didn’t end when the residency did.

That work has continued through a new collaboration with Berwick Town Council, with Martha and Berwick Academy students transforming the Town Council’s retail huts at the Quayside with creative designs inspired by Berwick’s natural heritage and history.

That is perhaps one of the most important measures of a programme like Berwick Shines: what happens after the project officially finishes.

A new home for creativity

The legacy of Berwick Shines can also be seen in a new creative space right in the heart of the town.

In December 2025, The Maltings opened its new space at Hide Hill, creating a welcoming place for people of all ages to take part in creative activity.

Since opening, Maltings at Hide Hill has welcomed more than 2,100 participants across 127 workshops, performances, exhibitions and community activities.

From artist-led workshops and community choirs to youth theatre, family drop-ins, school visits, exhibitions, SEND sessions and volunteering, the space has created regular opportunities for people to learn new skills, meet others and experience creativity in an accessible and inclusive setting.

So, what is the legacy?

For The Maltings’ CEO, Ros Lamont, the most important legacy of Berwick Shines isn’t necessarily the impressive numbers.

“From town-wide celebrations like Berwick Parade to year-long residencies in our schools and public artworks celebrating Berwick’s hidden histories to the creation of Maltings at Hide Hill, Berwick Shines has shown what can happen when artists are given the time to build genuine relationships with a place and its people.”

And that sense of time and connection feels central to the programme.

The legacy is in the confidence people have gained. In the partnerships that have been formed. In the skills that have been nurtured. In the artworks that remain. And in the new creative opportunities that continue to grow.

As Berwick Shines comes to a close, its impact can be seen across the town — from classrooms and community spaces to galleries, streets and public places.

More than 15,000 people have taken part. But perhaps the most lasting achievement is that so many people have had the opportunity to see their town, its history and each other in a slightly different way.

And that’s something worth celebrating.