A year on from being shortlisted to become UK City of Culture for 2025, Durham has cemented its position as the culture county. PETER BARRON reports

AN exciting and ambitious programme of cultural events and developments is underway across Durham, with this week’s Durham Brass Festival epitomizing the energy, optimism and creative spirit abounding in the culture county.

A year ago, Durham was the only county to make the final four on the shortlist to be City of Culture 2025, in the first year the competition had been opened up to wider areas.

And, although Durham missed out to Bradford in the final reckoning, it was still a remarkable achievement, with the partners behind the bid – Durham County Council, Durham University, and Culture Durham – more determined than ever before to deliver on ambitious plans.

A world-class cultural offer attracts visitors from across the UK and beyond, and encourages residents of the region to rediscover the county too. And having achieved a visitor economy worth £1bn for the first time in 2022, visitor spend in the county is set to be boosted even further.

The UK City of Culture bid united the county and provided the momentum to build on already strong foundations, with a series of developments at cultural attractions across the county, along with new projects, and an incredible festival and events programme.

Over the next three years, events and developments taking place across the county include:

  • An inclusive festival and events programme. From Lumiere, the UK’s spectacular light art biennial, which returns to the county for the eighth time from November 16 to 19, to Seaham Food Festival, a culinary extravaganza serving up exciting street food, celebrity chefs and more on August 5 and 6 – there is something for everyone. This week, don’t miss Durham Brass Festival, a colourful celebration of brass music from around the world, with concerts and outdoor parties taking place across the county until Sunday (July 16). The spectacular Kynren, an Epic Tale of England also returns for an action-packed summer season on July 29, while Durham Fringe Festival will bring comedy, theatre, music and more to Durham City from July 26 to 30.
  • The £5.9m redevelopment of Locomotion, in Shildon, including the opening this November of the New Hall, which will house an additional 46 heritage rail vehicles – the largest undercover collection in the world. The investment forms part of the national celebrations in 2025 to mark the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
  • Exciting developments at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, as part of the Remaking Beamish project. In June, new 1950s council houses, a police house, a bowling green and pavilion opened in the 1950s Town. And there is more to come, including a 1950s cinema, toy shop and electrical store, plus new exhibits in the Georgian area.
  • The ongoing transformation in the fortunes of Bishop Auckland following the reopening of Auckland Castle, creation of the Spanish Gallery and Mining Art Gallery, and the eagerly anticipated opening of the Faith Museum by The Auckland Project this autumn.
  • Ambitious renovations and developments to expand the visitor offer at Raby Castle, as part of The Rising. The first phase of the reimagining of the castle’s walled garden – the creation of a new grass amphitheatre for staging outdoor events – is due for completion this summer.
  • The reopening of the DLI Museum and Art Gallery, including a dedicated space for objects and stories from the DLI collection, as well as gallery spaces, and food and drink. The DLI Museum and Art Gallery will also have strong links to The Story, an exciting new heritage venue at Mount Oswald, which will provide a permanent home for the DLI Collection. The Grade II listed manor house will be a dedicated history centre, housing records, photographs and objects linked to County Durham’s heritage.

In addition to those headline events and developments, the legacy of the UK City of Culture bid is helping fresh ideas to emerge at grass roots. The three runners-up each received £125,000, and Durham has used some of that money to provide ‘Durham Kickstart’ grants to support artists and new events across the county.

Missing out on the UK City of Culture title may have come as a disappointment at the time, but the evidence is clear that the energy that went into the bid is paying dividends. A commitment to culture-led regeneration and ambitious plans for further developing its world-class offer have cemented Durham’s position as the culture county.

To find out more about what’s happening where and when, go to:  www.durhamculturecounty.com