Lisa Cartwright

Since March 2025, S&DR200 has captured the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe with a vibrant cultural programme that has used culture as a tool to tell stories of international importance. Artists, practitioners, historians and storytellers were asked to think about bringing the past, present and future to life in a captivating way.

The festival, which has been extended until May 2026 due to its success, continues to highlight the importance of the railways to the industrial revolution and this pioneering time. While celebrating a remarkable chapter of British history that shaped our world, S&DR200 also turns to the future, encouraging the next generation of engineers, artists, and leaders to find collaborative solutions for today’s most pressing challenges. Storytelling proves to be crucial for capturing global narratives, as well as spotlighting lesser-known stories of local people, ensuring a lasting and meaningful legacy for all.

Throughout this year across Durham and Tees Valley, Shildon to Stockton via Darlington, S&DR200 has showcased how championing collaboration and the arts is vital to driving progress, critical thinking, communication and wellbeing. Across this corner of England, the visitor economy, museums, hotels and towns have experienced the benefit, with hundreds of thousands of visitors making trips to the region’s museums and public spaces. S&DR200 has been delivered by Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

The programme’s legacy continues, secured due to the support of national bodies and local authorities working together in a unique way to ensure longevity and the progression of the region’s creative sector. The programme has highlighted the wealth of talent and skills across Durham and Tees Valley, from the visual arts to performance and spoken word. The festival aims to encourage the next generation of young people to develop their careers in both the creative and STEM sectors.

• Events have taken place throughout Durham and Tees Valley, covering over 1000 square miles across urban areas to the open countryside.
• Over 25,000 local people have participated in S&DR200 activities including workshops, walks, talks, a 300+ strong event fringe programme and the central performative showcase in performances Ghost Train, STEAM and All Change.
• 60,000 school children and students aged 5 to 18 have participated in the education programme
• More than 60 artists and 20 organisations have been involved in the programme to shine a light on and reimagine the landscape where the first train journey took place.
• Major exhibitions have unfolded in museums and galleries across the region, notably within Locomotion, The Story, Preston Park and Hopetown, with more to follow – including a site-specific work by Yann Nguema, a French physicist turned digital installation artist, a world record attempt at Locomotion, and a significant Women of the World (WOW) open air exhibition looking at how people from various fields influence the area now.

Cultural Programme Highlights S&DR200’s cultural programme, the result of close collaboration between Director Niccy Hallifax, local authorities and cultural partners, has delivered unique large-scale commissions, from multi-layered outdoor performances to beautiful and insightful museum exhibitions and art installations. Audiences were invited to take an alternative look at the stories surrounding this 26-mile journey and the people and communities behind it. New public art installations have been introduced across the area cementing the region’s position as a leading destination for world-class heritage and culture.

Through the commissioning of over 60 artists, from internationally renowned household names to upcoming local talent who have been invited to tell the unique story of the railway’s past, present and
future, the festival continues to shine a spotlight on the lesser-known stories weaved into this, ensuring that they are documented as part of the project’s wider legacy and recognised as offering notable engineering and critical artistic thinking from the region.

A number of these artists worked with local community groups, including young creatives and asylum seekers. As part of an ongoing programme, nine murals and two sculptures along the S&DR Trail of Discovery route have started to appear, to mark and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. These artworks were placed along key historic locations of a new trail between Witton Park in County Durham and Stockton in Tees Valley, closely following the original 26-mile route of the S&DR, as part of a wider commission awarded to Teesside University (University of the year 2025) to create a digital game that can be played both on the route and virtually.

Aida Wilde, an Iranian-born, London-based printmaker and visual artist, brought her signature style of social commentary to Hopetown, Darlington. The work was located next to one of the first station’s, North Road, offering her reflections on displacement, the working class, education, and equality. PAST, PRESENCE, LOCOMOTION was based on the legacy of the Stockton and Darlington Railway at Hopetown Darlington, working with a series of local community groups (Action Asylum Volunteers from Refugee Futures in Stockton, The Friends of Stockton and Darlington Railway and the wider community in Darlington) connecting themes of heritage, memories, pioneers, migration and stories of the famous railway cats. The work produced can now be seen in the museum grounds.

Another highlight included the collaborative talents, imitating the dog with SKYMAGIC, who created the visual feast All Change at the famous Kynren site to open the year in March 2025. This partnership, using projection mapping, storytelling through dance and performance, film, and a new soundscape with spoken word demonstrates just how the region changed our world. The 25-minute sold-out show wove together a series of playful images and music, telling the remarkable story of innovation over the past 200 years because of the railways, playing like a sonnet to the region that gave so much to the world we live in today.

Upcoming Exhibitions

• Perfume by Yann Nguema opens at Preston Park, 17 January to 10 May 2026.
• The Trail of Discovery official game and art walk launch, January 2026.
• The Hope Brigade in the North East with WOW, March 2026 onwards.
• Memory of a Journey – exhibition display in Durham City Town Hall, May 2026.
• S&DR200 a look back, Hopetown, September 2026.

S&DR200’s Legacy

S&DR200 has highlighted the importance of creating legacy and placemaking through culture, alongside exemplifying the many ways this can be achieved. By situating legacy and community at the heart of the festival, the intention was to invest into the cultural fabric of communities, increasing opportunities for the public to experience the arts and therefore bridging the past, present and future. The works meaningfully communicate shared heritage, by creating a replicated sense of wonder for visitors in the experience of witnessing the very first train.

In commemorating the year of celebration, many artworks, projects, and collaborators will remain in and around the 26 mile route of the S&DR, with many pieces becoming part of permanent collections and recorded stories forming part of national archives. The artworks that are now part of the landscape form part of people’s lived experiences and subsequent memories.

S&DR200 Festival Director, Niccy Hallifax said: “The arts have a huge role to play in our national celebrations as well as revitalising our towns and public spaces. Alongside the importance of economics, it’s about harnessing the power of created works and pieces that imprint within the landscapes, creating meaning in and for all our communities. It is through the legacy of S&DR200’s amazing celebrations that we can continue to champion the pioneers who went before us for this project, as well as celebrating what we value: creativity, expression, and the power of healing human connections.”

A celebration event took place at Seaham station on Monday 15 December to mark the historic occasion, attended by local MP Grahame Morris and other local councillors and businesses, who heralded the new services as “invaluable” for the local community. 

Attendees applauded the 10:41am service from Seaham to London into the station, before Grahame Morris MP stepped on board to travel to Parliament, and made a tannoy announcement to celebrate the new services.  

Previously, passengers from Seaham would have had to change services to travel to London, with the journey taking up to four hours. Now, the new direct service will enable passengers to reach London in approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

This new service builds on Grand Central’s proud history of bolstering regional connectivity in the North East, providing direct services from historically underconnected areas like Sunderland, Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe into London. Its services play an essential role in boosting regional growth, supporting an area outside London with a combined GDP of £113bn. 

Earlier this year, Arriva, which operates Grand Central, placed an order for £300 million-worth of tri-mode new trains for Grand Central routes following the extension of its track access rights. These trains will be manufactured in the North East at Hitachi Rail’s Newton Aycliffe facility, and bolster connectivity by increasing seats by 20%.

Services provided by Grand Central can work in tandem with the new Great British Railways, enhancing and complementing the UK Government’s rail nationalisation plans, ensuring that the rail network is making the best possible use of its capacity. 

Chris Brandon, Director at Grand Central, said: “Today is a milestone not just for Grand Central, but for Seaham. For the first time in history, residents here have a direct, reliable connection to London – a connection that reflects the town’s growing ambition and needs. This launch reflects our mission to continue investing in the North East: through our £300 million order of new trains, and through seeking increased track access rights, which will allow us to provide more services in the region for years to come. Our focus remains on delivering the essential services that communities need, at no cost to the taxpayer, while supporting regional economic growth.”

Grahame Morris, Member of Parliament for Easington, said: “It’s fantastic news that Grand Central has launched its new four-a-day stopping service from Seaham to London. This service will be invaluable for my constituents, whether travelling for work or leisure, providing direct connections to both York and London. The East Durham Coastline has been underused for decades, and I’m delighted that Grand Central has recognised the enormous potential of this route and worked hard to make it a reality. This is a major step forward for our constituency’s connectivity and local economy, opening up new opportunities for jobs, tourism, and investment. I will continue to work closely with Grand Central to ensure these services continue well beyond the initial one-year approval period.”