19/05/2026
An experienced curator and producer has been appointed, ahead of our opening this summer.
Tony Guillan is our new artistic director and brings with him a wealth of experience working across museums, festivals and major cultural institutions, including the Tate, Southbank Centre and Imperial War Museums.
Over his career, he has shaped world-first museum projects, pioneered new approaches to public realm art, and developed programmes enabling creative businesses, community organisations and young people to experiment with new tools and technologies.
Bringing together contemporary art and creativity with local history, scientific discovery and technological innovation, our venue will explore the most important ideas of our time through an ambitious programme of exhibitions, events, immersive experiences and new commissions.
A dedicated DLI Gallery will also celebrate County Durham’s military heritage and connect it with new audiences.
Our venue represents a major investment in creativity, culture and community, providing a place for innovation to thrive, for people to gather and for artists to collaborate, while also creating a new cultural and tourist destination for the North East.
