SNAFU
COMPLETE
THE LIGHTYEARS PROJECT
WHERE ARTS, SCIENCE & CULTURE COLLIDE
THE EVENTS
space through the lens of dance music
THE ALBUM
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THE FUNDERS
art, science & culture
LIGHT YEARS
Light Years is a 3-year programme of dynamic art-science collaborations that celebrates the 1,200 year history of space science in County Durham, shines a spotlight on worldclass research and innovation in next generation spacetech, and invites the public to explore the really big questions of the universe. Light Years will create exhibitions of artistic responses to dark cosmic phenomena, experiential family festivals about spacesuits and Mars bases, campfire conversations under dark skies and an immersive rave installation asking 'are we alone in the cosmos?'
SNAFU
SNAFU was founded in Durham in 2021 with a clear intention: to introduce a progressive youth culture dialogue into a city renowned for its historic legacy. Our mission was straightforward yet ambitious, to platform some of the most compelling artists in contemporary electronic music and bring them to a city often overlooked within the national circuit. Since then, we have hosted artists including Sammy Virji, Joy Orbison, Barry Can’t Swim, Prospa, Ross From Friends, Girls Don’t Sync and CC:DISCO?
Over time, our programming has extended well beyond Durham - from London to Manchester, Sheffield to Leeds, Newcastle to Birmingham. Despite the expansion, Durham remains our point of origin, creative anchor and our home.
The Lightyears project presented an opportunity to unite the county through the shared language of dance music and collective exploration. It invited audiences to reconsider notions of space, both physical and conceptual, and to position the cosmos as a source of inspiration within contemporary youth culture.
When invited to contribute to the project, we immediately recognised the artist best suited to articulate that vision.
TOMMY2000
Our relationship with Tommy2000 traces back to the very beginning. We first offered him a platform when he was just 17 years old — a young artist from Durham with raw instinct, ambition, and a clear sense of direction. Even then, there was an excellence to his production and a confidence beyond his years.
In the time since, Tommy2000 has evolved into an acclaimed artist in his own right, refining a sound that resonates far beyond the North East while remaining rooted in it. His trajectory reflects not only personal dedication, to push through a scene that lacks electronic music talent. Tommy is the epitome of what is possible. With a strengthening local scene, we hope to have more export talents just like Tommy.
Durham is not simply where he began, it is woven into his identity. To see an artist emerge from the city and carve out national recognition speaks to the very ethos upon which snafu aspires to: create opportunity locally, think expansively, and allow culture to grow outward from unexpected places.
Bringing Tommy2000 into this project felt less like a transaction and more like a continuation of a story, one that began in a small Durham room and now extends far beyond it.
Funded by Light Years - part of Into the Light, Durham's creative place partnership programme designed to drive long-lasting growth in County Durham. In partnership by Beamish Museum, The Bowes Museum, Create North, Durham County Council, Durham University, Ensemble '84, The Forge Arts Organisation, No More Nowt, Northern Heartlands and TIN Arts. It is funded by Durham County Council, The National Lottery Heritage Fund through Arts Council England, the UK government through the @UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
hashtag#UKSPF and Durham University. The work is supported by Culture Durham and Visit County Durham.