Our team

Meet the team

Led by festival director, Niccy Hallifax, the team brings expertise, creativity, enterprise, and a wealth of experience delivering large-scale public events.

The wider festival team is made up of colleagues from across Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, our museum partners and is supported by the S&DR200 Board.

Thanks to Jo Booth, who won the commission to photograph the members of the festival team, through an open submission in partnership with Teesside University.

S&DR200 Festival team

Niccy Hallifax (she or her) - S&DR200 Festival Director

Niccy is an experienced creator who has worked on numerous global, high-profile and internationally award-winning projects in the heritage and culture sector. She has successfully directed and delivered large-scale, public-facing cultural projects and always prioritises the diversifying of audiences through a creative approach to cultural place-making. Recently she directed installations including SEE MONSTER, the opening and closing events for Waltham Forest Borough of Culture, and the handover to Birmingham 2020, a 10-minute, groundbreaking broadcast piece for the Commonwealth Games.

Cara Pringle (she or her) - S&DR200 Communications & Stakeholder Manager 

A proud North East Lass with 20 years of experience in marketing and communications. Cara is passionate about engaging diverse audiences and showcasing the region as an exceptional place to live, work, and visit.

Bringing to the team an extensive blend of experiences within culture, tourism, and events. Her career path has proven highly successful working on projects such as Hadrian's Wall 1900 Festival, Hartlepool Tall Ships Races, Festival of Thrift and the Queens Platinum Jubilee.

Richie Starrs (he or him) - S&DR200 Project Manager

Richie has been involved with the Stockton and Darlington Railway Heritage Project since 2018. He was the lead officer overseeing the delivery of Historic England's S&DR Heritage Action Zone initiative, which saw a huge increase in research and raised awareness and investment into the S&DR programme.

Richie previously worked for Hartlepool Borough Council and oversaw significant regeneration projects on Hartlepool's Historic Headland and played a lead role in delivering Hartlepool's Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.

Jennifer Jordan (she or her) - S&DR200 Marketing Assistant

Jennifer is an experienced events marketer having completed a BSc Hons Events Management with Arts and Entertainment and has since taken on various PR support roles in the cultural space.

Following nine years of working at digital marketing agencies in the North East region, she now freelances as a digital PR manager and copywriter working with a wide range of national brands, and does social media management for local music & culture events. She has a particular passion for arts education and the charity sector.

David Sinclair - S&DR200 Curator

A nationally renowned curator who has worked with large institutions and international artists, David has delivered exhibitions from the power of the humble t-shirt to Brazilian craft innovations to catwalk inclusivity. He's built relationships with the Design Museum, V&A, Tate, and the Crafts Council. David is also a member of the Touring Exhibition Group. 

David is head of programming at New Art Exchange in Nottingham leading on a citizen led approach to curatorial practice. Working with Bradford 2025 on Draw with David a national incentive to get everyone drawing, a project championed by David Hockney and working with FLUX Rotherham, transforming the city centre into the largest outdoor Art Gallery.

Lizzie Lovejoy - S&DR200 Resident Poet 

Lizzie Lovejoy is a Darlo born Poet, Performer and Picture-Maker. They've spent their life listening to peoples words, and now Lizzie translates local narratives into creative works. Working across the North, from the Scottish Borders to North Yorkshire, Lizzie's home is their inspiration because the North is a tale worth telling and contains so many stories worth hearing. Lizzie was awarded NE Artist of the Year 2023, performed to thousands in national festivals, and featured on the BBC Schools Share Your Story Tour.

Also working as part of the S&DR200 team are:

David McDonald - Graphic designer

Danielle Brough - Copywriter

Dan Brough is a multi award-winning creative copywriter and worked in ad agencies in Scotland and Newcastle for 26 years. Having worked at one of the Toon's largest agencies, Drummond Central, as Head of Copy for 12 years, Dan set up her own consultancy during the pandemic. In her spare time, she's the co-leader of an initiative called Ladies, Wine and Design Newcastle who support and mentor hundreds of creative women in the North East, especially graduates and those starting out

Cait Barratt (she or her) - S&DR Heritage & Community Participation Manager

Cait has worked in the arts, culture, and heritage industry for 15 years in a variety of museums, galleries, and historic properties. Working initially as a volunteer and intern throughout undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Cait then worked as a museum professional. Cait's background is in collections management and interpretation, developing exhibitions and National Lottery Heritage Fund projects as a consultant and project manager.

Jess Woodley (she or they) - S&DR Youth Engagement Officer

Jess is a recent graduate of the University of Southampton where they studied BA History and Archaeology and MSc Archaeology. Jess has spent 6 years working at Darlington Hippodrome and helped develop exhibition content for the theatre. They believe strongly in the impact the arts can have within heritage and is passionate about improving diversity and inclusion through creating space for the voices of young people within the heritage world.

Claire Skaife (she or her) - S&DR Volunteer and Training Coordinator

Claire was the Community Engagement Assistant at Preston Park Museum and Grounds in Stockton. She worked with 150 to 200 volunteers and local communities through a variety of large-scale family events and exhibitions before joining the S&DR team. During her 5 years of working for English Heritage, she worked at Whitby and Rievaulx Abbeys, Stonehenge and at History Live in visitors services and sales membership.

Reuben Kench - Chair of the Stockton & Darlington Rail Heritage Partnership, Director of Community, Environment & Culture at Stockton Borough Council

Reuben worked in the arts, as Director of Cleveland Arts and Head of Regional Development for Northern Arts, before moving into local government. His subsequent 20 years senior management experience across culture, events, leisure and heritage services has included delivery of large events, major capital programmes, policy development and service design. He is also leading the Council's strategy for environmental sustainability and carbon reduction.

Alison Clark - Head of Culture, Leisure, Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council

Alison has had a 25 year career in culture and place leadership. She is currently Director of Culture Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council, alongside supporting the development of the Culture Creative Tourism and Sport portfolio for the new North East Combined Authority. Alison spent 15 years with Arts Council England and was North West Director and national Director in Combined Arts. She has supported major infrastructure growth, developed policy and designed and lead influential programmes that had significant impact on large scale festivals and events.

Ian Thompson - Assistant Director of Community Services at Darlington Borough Council

Ian has worked in local government for over 40 years with 30 years of that at a senior level having a focus on Leisure and Cultural services. He is currently Assistant Director of Community Services with responsibility for Culture, Leisure and Environmental services. In recent years Ian has led the restoration of Darlington Hippodrome, the town library and the most recent £37 million restoration and development project of a collection of historic railway buildings. Hopetown Darlington is a new visitor attraction which opened in July 2024. 

The S&DR200 Board

The members are:

Reuben Kench - S&DR200 Chair of the board and Director of Community Services, Environment and Culture at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Marie Addison - Regional Community and Sustainability Manager at Northern Railway

Alison Clark - Head of Culture, Sport and Tourism at Durham County Council

Lianna Francis-Kelly - Partnerships Team Leader of Historic England North East

Niall Hammond - Chair of Friends of S&DR

Helen Kemp - Business Solutions Director at Tees Valley Combined Authority

Felicity Machnicki - Community Rail Officer, Bishop Line Community Rail Partnership

Dennis Middleton - LNER

Charlie Nettle - Group MD, AV Dawson

Emma Robertson - Programme Manager of Railway 200

Mark Sill - Northern Railway

Ian Thompson - Assistant Director of Community Services at Darlington Borough Council

Ed Turner - Communications Manager of LNER for the North

Tim Wright - Customer Relationship Executive at Network Rail