AMOT was delighted to be invited to a preview of The Light, Durham, and its new permanent exhibition, We Are The Durhams.

This sensitively curated exhibition weaves the history of the Durham Light Infantry into a much broader and deeply human story – one of service, family, identity, local pride and remembrance.

There are some truly mesmerising moments.  The High Cross projection is particularly powerful, but it was the people connected to the collection who brought even greater depth to our visit.  Volunteers and local voices, with close connections through service or family, shared the stories behind the displays.  Wilf, in particular, added meaning and context to details we might otherwise have missed.

The passion of the volunteers, combined with the professionalism and quality of the exhibition, is superb.

Importantly, We Are The Durhams sits within a much broader cultural offer at The Light.  The permanent exhibition will be complemented throughout the year by an ambitious programme of temporary exhibitions, bringing internationally renowned artists and a wide range of art forms to Durham.

This combination of military heritage and contemporary art creates exciting opportunities for different audiences to connect.  Visitors drawn by the temporary exhibitions may discover the remarkable story of the Durham Light Infantry, while those visiting the military collection will encounter new artists, ideas and creative experiences.  Rather than competing for space, these different strands strengthen one another, placing Army heritage within the wider cultural life of the city and county.

But this is not simply a story about the past.

Although the Durham Light Infantry ceased to exist as a separate regiment in 1968, its lineage continued through The Light Infantry and lives on today within The Rifles, the British Army’s county regiment for Durham.

The Light will also provide an important engagement point for the British Army’s North East engagement and recruitment teams, building upon work already taking place with military museums across the region to host cadet activities and Army training taster sessions.

This creates a powerful golden thread: a museum preserving the story of an antecedent regiment, the serving Army engaging with that history, and young people being introduced to the possibilities of future service.  It is a wonderful example of how Army museums can commemorate the past while remaining relevant to the Army and its communities today and helping to inspire its soldiers of tomorrow.

It was also wonderful to see members of the Northern Army Museums Network and colleagues from the National Army Museum there in support, a lovely reflection of the strength and generosity of the wider Army museums community.

Created by Durham County Council alongside those who care for and understand the military collection, We Are The Durhams places the regiment firmly within the wider story of Durham.  In a city and county shaped by colossal figures and legacies, from St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede to Durham Cathedral and, of course, its place in the world of Harry Potter…We Are The Durhams deserves to become a destination in its own right.  It places the story of the Durham Light Infantry proudly within Durham’s wider cultural landscape: a story of global service, local identity and generations of people whose lives have been shaped by the regiment.  The Light is a remarkable new addition to the county’s heritage offer and a true gem within the Army museums network.

We are incredibly proud to have The Light within AMOT’s network and look forward to supporting its team into the future. We cannot recommend a visit highly enough.