New cultural venue ‘The Light’ to open this summer near Durham City
By Milly Moore and Ivan Deverick
A new cultural venue near the city centre will be opening at Aykley Heads, former location of the Durham Light Infantry Museum (DLI) and the Durham Art Gallery, after a £17 million transformation primarily funded by the County Council.
Durham County Council website emphasises the site’s focus on creativity which involves the intersection of art, heritage and science, with Light art playing a major part in thematising exhibitions.
Durham County Council website emphasises the site’s focus on creativity which involves the intersection of art, heritage and science…
The County Council announced Tony Guillan as Artistic Director of the venue on 19th May. A Geordie with over 15 years of experience in arts and culture, Guillan provided insight into the project when interviewed by Palatinate.
He noted “beautiful views” of parkland surrounding the modern building, emphasising how the location celebrates Durham’s history while also facilitating the discussion of “global issues with this beautiful natural aesthetic”.
The size of the building’s structure almost doubled since when it was last open, prompting Guillan to regard it as “essentially a brand-new building”. Despite this, the structural core used for the DLI remains the same.
Out of the first two exhibitions to be announced, one will make use of the DLI collection. He promoted the space as an adaptation to traditional military display, which instead focuses on human stories described as: “surprising and humorous, told in different, new and interactive ways”.
“Hardly any person in County Durham, the North East and beyond hasn’t got a relative touched by the history of the DLI.”
It was announced that three new gallery spaces would open on the second and third floor. The exhibition to be held will feature artists including “some household names and some names that will be new to audiences”.
Guillan commented on the relationship between the venue and Durham’s university community.
“We are speaking to lots of interesting people at the university…there are those links there which open up lots of potential opportunities for creative collaboration with academics, researchers, students, and the artists that we might be working with here”.
One example mentioned was Durham University’s contribution to the development of the James Webb Space Telescope, which would fit thematically with the venue.
He emphasised that organisers were thinking about ways to welcome the student population. Regarding the students, “you come to Durham because it’s an incredible place of learning, but you also come because it’s a great place to be”.
On the unique lens which Durham City would provide, Guillan commented “when you think of contemporary culture, you often think of big cities…but contemporary life also goes on in more rural areas, and County Durham is one of the most rural council areas in the country.”
Guillan commented “when you think of contemporary culture, you often think of big cities…but contemporary life also goes on in more rural areas, and County Durham is one of the most rural council areas in the country”
The council expects 80,000 to 100,000 to visit the site annually, making it potentially one of the most significant cultural venues in Durham.
Image: Durham County Council
