Tourism

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.”

The funding is part of a total of £1.3million awarded through the latest round of Art Fund’s Reimagine programme, supporting innovative collections projects in museums and galleries across the UK.

Beamish’s Reclaim the Stores project will make the museum’s stored collections more accessible, and work towards the reopening of its popular Open Store, which has been closed since the pandemic, giving access to previously unseen parts of the collection.

Rhiannon Hiles, Beamish’s Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely grateful to Art Fund for this funding that will enable us to widen access to our collections and bring a significant, long-term impact for our communities, staff, volunteers, visitors and partners.

“Beamish is a charity and independent museum, with communities and our people at the heart of all we do, so we are delighted that this funding will allow increased opportunities to connect with our collections, broaden the stories we tell, work with communities to co-create displays, increase skills and help towards the reopening of our Open Store.”

Beamish was named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, the world’s largest museum prize, and cares for around three million objects in its Designated and Accredited collection.

Helen Barker, Beamish’s Executive Director – Collections and Programmes, said: “Thanks to this funding from Art Fund we will Reimagine what our stored collections can be, making them accessible for display, research, inspiration, learning and enjoyment.

“We will carry out work on our small object stores to optimise use of space, increase understanding of, and access to, the collection not currently on display, build on our community engagement work and invest in additional skills and training for staff.

“We will revisit our Open Store, which has remained closed since Covid, to showcase previously unseen parts of the collection and highlight diverse regional stories.”

Beamish welcomed nearly 839,000 visitors last year and is the North East’s most visited attraction, and among the top paid-for attractions nationally.

The museum has completed its Remaking Beamish project, the biggest capital development project in its 55-year history, and is now looking ahead to exciting and ambitious plans for its future.

Launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic, Reimagine was developed to address the most urgent challenges facing UK museums. This latest round focuses on collections – a cornerstone of Art Fund’s mission and one of the areas of museum practice with the greatest demand for funding. Art Fund’s Museum Directors Survey in 2024 found that 56 per cent of museums cite lack of funding for collections as a major barrier to essential work such as digitisations, collections reviews and acquisitions.

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said: “At the core of Art Fund’s purpose is supporting museums to develop, care for and share the collections that enrich people’s lives. I’m delighted we’ve been able to support Beamish, Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025, through our final round of Reimagine funding, enabling museums to explore their collections, connect with communities and ensure that works of art, objects and their stories are shared and preserved for future generations.” 

This funding has been made possible thanks to support from The Kirby Laing Foundation, Art Fund members and supporters of Art Fund’s Expanding Horizons appeal.

 

VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition, now in its 14th year, seeks out champions working in tourism who provide fantastic experiences for visitors, as well as showcasing the variety and quality of England’s tourism offer, businesses and destinations.  

The 10 finalists, individuals or teams, were selected from dozens of submissions from Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), destinations, employers and colleagues and cover all areas of tourism.

The finalists will now go on to compete for the title of Tourism Superstar 2026 decided by a public vote and run on VisitEngland’s website in February and March 2026.  

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:  

“Our Tourism Superstar competition truly showcases the diversity of roles in our wonderful industry with all those involved demonstrating their passion for their places of work and destinations. It is their commitment to making visitors leave with magical memories that we are celebrating, and I encourage the public to show their support by voting for their favourite superstar. 

“From volunteers, guides, leaders in astro-tourism to chefs, holiday park employees and events teams, these finalists are already superstars. They strive to continuously improve the visitor experience, and I wish them every success when the competition opens in February 2026. Please do cast your vote!” 

VisitEngland Tourism Superstar 2026 finalists are: 

1. Jimmy Nicol, volunteer guide at Raby Castle, County Durham 
2. Hull & East Yorkshire Volunteers (HEY! Volunteers), supporting culture, tourism and heritage, East Riding of Yorkshire 
3. Dan Monk, Director of Astrophotography Kielder Observatory, Northumberland 
4. Maurizio Bocchi, chef at La Locanda, Lancashire 
5. Coast & Country Parks Holiday Connoisseurs, Coast & Country Parks – Somerset, Devon & Cornwall 
6. Leicester’s Festivals and Events Team, Leicestershire 
7. Mick Hurst, Battle of Evesham Historical Events and Reenactments, Worcestershire 
8. Sheila Hannon, Show of Strength Theatre Walks, Bristol 
9. Badger Hide Guides Volunteers at Wild Haweswater, the RSPB at Wild Haweswater, Cumbria 
10. Cheryl Cade, Tour Guide, Norwich and Norfolk 

The public will be able to vote for their favourite superstar on VisitEngland’s website from early February when the competition officially opens. Short films of all the finalists, carrying out their duties in their tourism roles and promoting their local destinations, will be shown on VisitEngland’s website to support with voting. Voting will run until the end of English Tourism Week which in 2026 takes place from the 13-22 March.

The finalist with the highest number of votes is crowned winner at the end of the competition with the Tourism Superstar award handed out at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2026 event in the summer. 

For more information on VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar competition go VisitEngland Tourism Superstar Awards UK | VisitBritain.org

Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, delivering economic growth right across the country.   

For further information contact charlotte.sanders@visitengland.org or on 02075781428 or on 07583682901