The North East welcomes a new cultural and community venue this weekend that honours the past whilst looking to the future.
Ahead of its opening on Saturday, August 22, with a bumper weekend of activities, we went for a look around The Light.
The new Durham County Council-run building is a remodel of the 1960s former DLI Gallery and Durham Art Museum in Aykley Heads and is a big boost to the site’s offering with contemporary gallery space, as well as a new cafe, meeting rooms, hands on workshops and more.
“It’s a really exciting moment for the venue and for the city,” said Tony Guillan, creative director of The Light, as they prepare to welcome the public through the doors of the new venue, which has been years in the planning.
He added: “I’m genuinely thrilled to be part of a team delivering what I believe is one of the most ambitious cultural projects currently taking place in the North East.
“More importantly, I believe it has the potential to be transformative for County Durham and the wider region.”
The Light is named in honour of the county’s long association with light in all its forms and features free displays, including a permanent exhibition in tribute to the Durham Light Infantry called We Are The Durhams, and a new contemporary gallery space.
The latter is ticketed with the inaugural exhibition, Victory Over The Sun: Encounters With Light, featuring the work of 25 contemporary artists working with light, with pieces by the likes of national and international artists, Olafur Eliasson, Tracey Emin, Chila Burman, David Shrigley and more.
Speaking about what ticketholders can expect from Victory Over The Sun, Tony said: “We’ve got light artworks of all different sorts and scales, from really intimate works looking at how artists have written in light to large scale works. It’s a really spectacular and unique show and the first time an exhibition like this has been held in County Durham.”
*Entry to The Light and We Are The Durhams is free. Victory Over The Sun is ticketed, with tickets available at https://thelightdurham.org.uk/
1. New life for old favourite
The existing 1960s building in Aykley Heads, which once housed the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery, has been remodelled and made twice the size. The original building had closed in 2016 as it was no longer fit for purpose. | Iconic Media
2. Tripping the light fantastic
Inspired by one of the 19th century scientists who first created artificial light, Victory Over the Sun immerses audiences in a range of sensory effects, increasing their understanding of how we see and experience light, and showcasing the links between light, science and nature. | Iconic Media
3. A bumper opening weekend
The opening weekend celebrations will begin on Saturday 22 August. Pittington Brass Band will perform a series of outdoor sets on the Saturday, while The Cequin Circus will bring the grounds to life with stilt walkers, disco-ball-headed dancers, and a fire-spinning performance. On the Sunday, audiences can enjoy live music from some of the North East’s most exciting singer-songwriters, including Steve Pledger, Ani Sandwith, Sam Slatcher, and Hels Pattison, alongside further performances from The Cequin Circus. There will also be science inspired lawn games and activities for children and families. | Iconic Media
4. Permanent tribute
As well as a gallery for changing exhibitions, The Light features a permanent exhibition for the DLI (Durham Light Infantry) called We Are The Durhams. As well as military displays, it tells the story of history and belonging. We Are The Durhams is a free exhibit. The Light is a sister site to The Story at Mount Oswald, in Durham, which houses the full DLI collection. | Iconic Media
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.