S&DR200 Festival Murals
Public artwork created to celebrate 200 years of the railway revolution.
The series of murals are located at iconic historic sites along the S&DR Trail of Discovery, a new trail between Witton Park in County Durham and Stockton in Tees Valley, that closely follows the original 26-mile-route of the world's first passenger and goods train journey on the S&DR. Each artist has worked with local community groups, including young creatives and asylum seekers, to reflect the people and places shaped by the S&DR and reveal the hidden histories of key railway stations.
Adébayo Bolaji - Everything Moves Through Here. 2025
In conjunction with Preston Park Young Producers.
Multi-disciplinary artist Adébayo Bolaji created a mural for Darlington railway station's waiting room. Bolaji's strong figurative work draws on his Nigerian (Yoruba) heritage and has been exhibited internationally, including most recently at the Norval Foundation Contemporary Art Museum in South Africa. Bolaji's work explores change and how individuals interact within societies, encompassing perspectives from religious, historical, and cultural contexts. Adébayo's first mural (one panel, 2m x 4m) has been created with the Young Producers programme, Darlington, and he will then create a second piece in response to the first, again working with members of the programme. Workshops are also being organised locally. His piece is a celebration of place and the first women of S&DR.
Adébayo says: 'Creating this mural at Darlington Station has been a journey of connection—between time, community, and identity. Working with the Young Producers in Darlington has been inspiring; together, we've explored how stories of movement and transformation and Im looking forward to continuing this journey with them. This piece is about honouring the past while embracing the power of change, its designed for then the producers and myself to add to in the next phase and create something that speaks to the place its now hanging in, so that part two is an evolution of part 1 .'
Kate Jackson - Motion 200. 2025 & Motion (Preston Park)
In conjunction with Preston Park Young Producers.
Visual artist, painter and former musician, Kate Jackson mural is on the boards along the station's fencing at Heighington Railway Station in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Jackson turned to painting after years in the music industry, developing a practice rooted in architectural drawing. (one panel 1.5m x 10m). Still in use today as part of the Bishop Line (and now known as Heighington station), the station set the model for modern railway stops, providing a train halt, passenger shelter, and a hub for transporting goods. Kate's mural has been created in collaboration with the Preston Park Young Producers programme, whose participants help create exciting events and opportunities for young people across the region.
Kate says: 'Heighington Station is a fundamental part of the S&DR railway story and I wanted my mural to reflect that legacy. Collaborating with the Preston Park Young Producers has brought fresh perspectives to the work—it's a celebration of place, people, and the enduring spirit of innovation that began here 200 years ago.'
Kate Jackson will also be presenting work on The Aviary in Preston Park, which will honour 200 years of community, reflecting the connections between people and nature at the historic space.
Morag Myerscough - Locomotion-Hope-Experiment 2025
In conjunction with Darlington Wellbeing. The Art of Survival.
At the Grade II listed Stockton Station , whose mural was created in collaboration with a refugee community group and local young creatives.
Morag says: 'My mantra is "make happy those people who are near me, and those who are far will come", this seems so relevant working with Historic England and S&DR200, covering aspects of movement and the first iterations of steam travel. I have always been fascinated by how colour, pattern, and selected words change urban environments and also people's perception of places.
Reflecting on the histories and working with Darlington Wellbeing - The Art of Survival, creating relevant patterns and workshopping words, this was a moving experience. Hopefully, transforming the Station into a destination and a more engaging experience for everyone.'
Aida Wilde - Absence/ Presence/ Movement. 2025
In conjunction with Friends of S&DR and Refugee Futures.
at North Road Station in Darlington, a key site in railway history and home to Hopetown Darlington, who will be collaborating with local asylum seekers to create her mural.
To follow later in 2026 are:
Lewis Hobson - Heritage
In conjunction with the Locomotion & Bowes young producers & volunteers.
on the Trail of Discovery footpath in Shildon, County Durham. This will complement his existing work already on display in Middleton St George, which the Friends of Stockton and Darlington commissioned in 2024.
Caroline Cardus - Blueprint Towards Universal Time. 2025
In conjunction with Friends of S&DR.
at The Masons Arms in Shildon. Her collaborative project will invite Shildon residents to share their perspectives, which will be transformed into signage inspired by railway signals.
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As part of the S&DR200 celebrations, two public art installations will also be unveiled, each capturing a unique story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway's legacy and its connection to the community. One will be in Locomotion by Shildon artist Ivan Black and volunteers from Locomotion, and the other on the Riverside in Stockton by artist James Bawn and poet Lizzy Lovejoy with the Young Producers Group from ARC, Stockton Arts Centre.
