Industry News
Shining ‘The Light’ on DLI treasures at new cultural venue
Treasured items which help to tell the stories of those who served in the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) are being prepared for display at a brand new cultural venue.
Durham City’s latest tourist attraction The Light is set to open on Saturday 22 August, bringing together art, innovation and history in extraordinary ways.
As well as three galleries dedicated to showcasing internationally significant contemporary art, the Durham County Council venue will include a permanent exhibition exploring what it means to belong to the DLI.
Entitled We Are The Durhams, the free exhibition will retain the building’s military links, as the former home of the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery in Aykley Heads. It will tell the Regiment’s story from its formation in 1758 to the final laying-up of the colours in 1968, and its modern successors, The Rifles.
But it is more than simply a military history. Through images, sounds, hands-on activities and rich sensory experiences, We Are The Durhams will reveal a deeply human story of identity, belonging and community. It will invite visitors to come face to face with the men behind the uniform and their families, and explore the objects that travelled with them and defined their lives.
With final preparations now underway to fit out the gallery space, the council’s deputy Armed Forces Champion Cllr Adrian Schulman and Colonel Ted Shields MBE, Chair of the Trustees of the Former DLI, visited The Light’s sister venue, The Story, to see some of the items that will go on display.
The Story is home to the entire DLI Collection and Archive, and, over the last few months, the team has been busy preparing objects to go on display at The Light.
Cllr Schulman said: “It’s been fascinating to look at some of the objects that will feature in the new exhibition, and I can’t wait to see them in place at The Light when it opens next month.
“The DLI is such an important part of County Durham’s heritage, as well as being integral to the personal histories of so many of our residents. To have a spectacular new venue capable of showcasing this heritage in ways that have never been possible before is something we are incredibly proud of.
“Furthermore, the fact The Light will also stage major contemporary art exhibitions will attract even more people to the venue, helping us to share the DLI story with a wider audience.”
Among the objects Cllr Schulman and Colonel Shields examined were a St Dunstans Badge, a Silver War Badge and wedding ring belonging to Private Tom Smith of Boldon Colliery; and a set of medals awarded to Sir Thomas Bradford, the eldest of the Fighting Bradfords, believed to be the most decorated family of the First World War.
They also got up close to a miniature copy of the monument dedicated to the 2nd Battalion DLI at Kohima; and body armour worn by Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kitson while commanding 3rd Battalion The Rifles in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.
Colonel Shields said: “'For all of us who hold a special place in our hearts for County Durham and the DLI, The Light will be a must-visit destination. It’s set to blaze new trails in the culture and heritage sector in the North East and across the UK, and will play an important part in showcasing Britain's Armed Forces' heritage.
“We are incredibly proud to have a permanent DLI gallery at The Light. We Are The Durhams will inform and inspire today's generation, help us to reconnect with our past, to understand what our forebears endured and overcame, while standing in testament to what can be achieved even in the darkest of days. I pay tribute to the vision and determination of all involved in making this all happen.”
When it opens in less than one month’s time, The Light will become a place where art, innovation and history meet. In addition to the cultural offer, it will include dedicated areas for educational and community activities, a café with an outdoor terrace overlooking beautiful grounds and flexible spaces for meetings and events.
The existing 1960s building has been sensitively remodelled and extended to create a modern and spacious venue capable of hosting world-class exhibitions.
Victory Over the Sun: Encounters with Light will launch the ambitious programme, bringing together groundbreaking works by artists who use light in extraordinary ways, including Tracey Emin, Dan Flavin, Olafur Eliasson, and Chila Burman.
Victory Over the Sun will run until Sunday 17 January 2027. Tickets are now available to book online priced at £10 for adults and £2.50 for children under 18 for a two-hour timed entry slot. An exhibition season pass is available priced at £25. Tickets will also be available to buy on the door when the venue opens priced at £12.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.
Entry to The Light and We Are The Durhams is free.
In August, The Light will be open every day, from 10am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; from 10am to 8pm on Thursday; and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday. The café will be open from 10am to 4pm.
From September, the venue will be closed on Monday and Tuesdays, with other opening hours remaining the same.