Lighten Up
Autumn signals the start of the light festival season across the Northern Hemisphere
Welcome to the seventh edition of my newsletter all about arts festivals. Hello to my new and existing subscribers. We are well and truly in autumn now and the clocks go back this weekend in the UK marking darker nights.
Many of us in the UK have recently been treated to earth’s natural light show – the Aurora Borealis – aka the Northern Lights, not once, but several times over the last few months, even as far down as the south coast of England. Though sadly, I’ve missed them every single time, so they remain on my bucket list.
In 1879 Blackpool Council invested £5000 on the first set of Illuminations along the seafront in an experiment with electric street lighting. Dubbed ‘artificial sunshine’, visitors flocked to the resort to see this electrical wonder. But it wasn’t until 1912 when the Illuminations appeared in a form more like today’s displays. However, due to the First World War, it was another eleven years before the Illuminations returned in 1925. They stretched for miles along the Promenade, and by 1929 all three piers were also illuminated. The Second World War forced another break, but from the 1950s the Blackpool Illuminations have been a regular autumn fixture in the town’s events calendar.[1] Switching on the lights is an honour bestowed on celebrities ranging from comedian Peter Kay, the racehorse Red Rum, singer Shirley Bassey, to film director Tim Burton, Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas and a group of Britain’s Coronavirus NHS Heroes.[2] Since 2007 designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has been the creative curator of the Blackpool Illuminations and even switched them on in 2022. He recently reflected, ‘it took Walt Disney coming to Blackpool to be inspired to then create Disneyworld, so we should be much prouder of that.’[3]
Blackpool Illuminations (1935-1939), British Pathé
Blackpool Illuminations is probably the best example of a successful annual event designed to extend the traditional tourist season. That initial spark of an idea now results in £300m additional revenue for the resort each year. A sum not to be sniffed at! In more recent years, Blackpool has also created the free Lightpool Festival running in October half-term featuring light installations, live performances and 3D projection shows in indoor venues and outdoor locations.
So, it’s hardly surprising that towns and cities across the Northern Hemisphere are increasingly looking to autumn/winter light-based festivals to bring in visitors and importantly increase visitor spend locally. You can now find light-based events at historic houses, botanic gardens and even zoos, though you will usually have to pay to access these events. Commercial event companies have entered this space too with light trails and events taking place in non-traditional spaces such as showgrounds, for example, A World of Illumination in Cheshire. Same name, but different scale, is the World of Illumination which is billed as the biggest drive-through Christmas show in the USA.
I’ve heard criticism from some colleagues about commercial light events, whether that’s their perceived lack of artistic integrity, or merely jumping on the bandwagon. We’ve all seen those PR stories of poorly executed festive light events with high ticket prices. So, are we getting to saturation point yet?? Well I suspect audiences and visitors will be the judge of that and vote with their feet. But what about the environmental impact, especially in terms of light pollution? I know that many arts organisations are working hard to minimise their carbon footprint, but understanding about the impacts of light pollution, especially in towns and cities is less well known.
Focusing on light-based arts festivals, the 20th edition of Light Night Leeds opened last night. This two-day event has grown from a grassroots festival in 2005 to the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival with international artists showing work across the whole city. Over twenty years the event has attracted 1.1m visitors to the city. Principal Curator & Producer Natasha Howes shared some insights with me this week, stating, ‘it’s free to access and is inclusive, accessible and democratic – everyone can enjoy it. In terms of the benefit to the city, it brings people together to feel part of a larger civic community and also generates £3.5m for the local economy.’
‘Everyone I meet in Leeds says that they genuinely LOVE Light Night, and I think that is because it is an event for the whole family and people enjoy seeing their city in a new way.’
Light Night Leeds and Lightpool Festival are part of a Northern England network of thirteen light festivals – Light Up the North, as well as being part of the worldwide network of public light festivals - International Light Festivals. Light Up the North nurtures artistic ambition through artist and producer development, co-commissioning and joint fundraising. An example of this is an artwork called Parallels, by Architecture Social Club that was presented at this year’s Lightpool Festival and is now featured in Light Night Leeds.
For many cultures and communities around the world light festivals have a deeper religious and spiritual meaning. The end of this month marks the start of Diwali, the festival of lights when Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Diwali, from the Sanskrit word ‘Deepavali’, means ‘rows of lighted lamps’. Celebrations include lighting homes, temples, workplaces and fireworks, with families sharing feasts including sweets and the lighting of clay lamps – to ‘symbolise the inner light that protects the household from spiritual darkness.’[4]
Last year Manchester Museum opened the first permanent South Asia Gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contribution of the South Asian diaspora, in partnership with the British Museum.[5] Every year Manchester Museum hosts Diwali at the Museum presenting an evening of activities including dance, music, sweets and mocktails.
As I have mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to work with outdoor arts specialists Walk the Plank on Green Space Dark Skies in 2022, a major commission with 20 events across the UK creating temporary light installations in stunning landscapes. The company has a 30+ year track record of working with places and communities to create festivals, parades, major events and ceremonies, with a specialism in working with fire and light. Celebrating and engaging communities from different cultures and beliefs underpins all their work. As Liz Pugh, Creative Producer and Co-Founder says, ‘Our mission is to use outdoor arts as a tool to celebrate local stories, heritage and culture, bringing people together through shared cultural experiences. We believe our society is richer because of the diversity and inclusivity these communities contribute.’
‘Every story, voice, and shared experience weaves a unique thread into the vibrant fabric of our collective culture.’
Rowan Cannon is the Founder Director of Wild Rumpus, a company that makes and supports work that reconnects people with their place and nature. She recently posted on LinkedIn, ‘as the nights draw in, and darkness bleeds into the corners, these months give us rich and tempting opportunities to build fleeting worlds of a texture and quality impossible in summer. This is in part because of the beautiful stories that are steeped in these seasons, of gods and monsters, love and death and wonder, shared around flickering fires.’
‘Darkness becomes a creative gift.’
UK Festivals News
Northern Roots is inviting proposals for a £15k Illuminate commission to create a light-night experience at the outdoor woodland in Oldham next February, and they’re looking for a Creative Producer.
Light up the North announces its SHINE programme commission and their first collaborative art sculpture with Illumaphonium - Somnius. And at their conference next month you can pitch an idea for a light installation at the Pitch Your Idea session.
Manchester will be the first-ever English guest city at Barcelona’s iconic La Mercè festival in 2025, showcasing Manchester outdoor arts and music talent.
Kully Thiarai who was recently the Creative Director and CEO of LEEDS 2023 is the new Chair of Without Walls.
Shona McCarthy announced she’s stepping down from her role as Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Fringe Society in Spring 2025 after nine years in the role.
In other Edinburgh news, the future of Summerhall Fringe venue is once again in doubt. In more positive news, Arts Professional highlights international partnership working with the British Council at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival.
The WOW Foundation is looking for a Creative Producer for its first WOW festival in the North East, in partnership with S&DR200, the nine-month festival to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Outdoor Arts UK is looking for an Associate Director, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival is looking for an Operations and Finance Manager and Southwell Music Festival is looking for new Trustees.
Two new team members join Norfolk & Norwich Festival’s Festival Connect & Create team – Alexandra Anslow and David Stothard.
A new Serendipity Arts Festival is planned in Birmingham for 2025, hosted by Birmingham City University.
SXSW London taking place in June 2025 has unveiled its new website.
‘It’s a tricky job to get a photo festival right […] But Ffoto Cymru 24 does it, and is dead on target,’ according to The Guardian. The inaugural biennial Ffoto Cymru: Wales International Festival of Photography runs until the end of October across Wales.
Sad news as Wild Rumpus and the National Forest announce the closure of Timber Festival. I’m particularly sad having worked on the initial feasibility study that led to the commissioning of Wild Rumpus to create the festival.
Manchester-based Quarantine continue their international travels taking their show No Such Thing to Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival in Cairo.
The Association of Independent Festivals (representing over 200 UK music festivals) has secured Arts Council England funding to launch a free business support programme for multi-venue festivals in England.
Eight highlights from the recent Dundee Design Festival.
The Centre for Culture, Sport and Events at the University of West Scotland, with support from Spirit of 2012, has launched new research – Festivals, events and equality, diversity and inclusion outcomes: an evidence review.
Though not an arts festival, I do want to give a shout out to a new fundraising festival set up by my friends Gemma Saunders and chef Mary-Ellen McTague, with Kathleen O’Connor, Eat Well, Do Good Festival as part of Eat Well MCR. The organisation works with grassroots organisations to deliver meals to families experiencing homelessness, women taking refuge in sheltered accommodation, parents of children staying in hospital, food banks and schools supporting young people and families affected by food poverty. The festival featuring the best of the city’s hospitality community runs in Manchester till Sunday 27th October.
International Festivals News
My friend and colleague Dr Beatriz Garcia is speaking at this year’s Lyon Light Festival Forum.
I remember spending a wonderful afternoon many years ago wandering round Warsaw’s temporary Museum of Modern Art, housed in a former office block on a free afternoon whilst delivering training with the Arts Marketing Association for the British Council. So, I’m delighted to hear that its new permanent home finally opens today after a long delay (Friday 25 October) and launches with a three-week festival.
In last month’s newsletter I included news of the fireworks debacle at the launch of The Getty’s PST Art Festival in Los Angeles that caused injuries to some spectators. This month, the artist Cai Guo-Qiang shares his thoughts on the incident.
The European Festival Summit organised by YOUROPE, the organisation that represents popular music festivals in Europe, takes place in Germany next month. And YOUROPE has also published a Green Festival Roadmap 2030 aiming to align the practices of festivals with European Union guidelines and the EU Green Deal.
The Stage laments some of the programming choices at European theatre festivals.
Sydney Festival announces their new Artistic Director, straight from London’s International Festival of Theatre.
Hudson Valley Dance Festival, produced by and benefitting Dancers Responding to AIDS, a programme of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, raised record funds this year.
Under the Radar experimental theatre festival in New York celebrates its 25th anniversary and has announced its 2025 programme.
A French Archbishop is trying to protect his city of Toulouse from ‘The Gate of Darkness’, the latest large-scale outdoor show from French artist François Delarozière (La Machine) featured in Hellfest metal music festival. The show is inspired by Mesopotamian mythology, but the local Catholic church has stated concerns about ‘satanic’ symbols being shown in public.
Here’s a stunning gallery of images showing some of the exhibitions and installations at PhEST Photo Festival in Monopoli, South East Italy.
ARTnews reviews this year’s Toronto Biennial of Art, running through to December, and shares news of the curatorial concept for the 2025 Bienal de São Paulo.
UK Festival Highlights
A selection of light festivals and events next month include Light up Lancaster, Barnsley Bright Nights, Light Night Wigan, Light Up Wakefield, ENLIGHTEN in Accrington, Wild Wanders and the Ignite Fire Festival in Rochdale (both produced by Walk the Plank), Liverpool’s River of Light runs into November, Arley Hall’s Winter Light Trail in Cheshire, Hall Park Light Works in Workington, Cumbria, Northern Lights Newcastle, Lanterns and Light at Chester Zoo and Glow at RHS Bridgewater in Salford.
Autumnal and winter festivals abound with The Glittering North at Raby Castle, Darlington running into November (produced by Wild Rumpus), Oban Winter Festival in Scotland, Yuletide at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
Still plenty of literature festivals next month with Tales of the Weird: An Autumnal Festival at the British Library, the UK’s biggest music focused literature festival, Louder than Words in Manchester, Kendal Mountain Book Festival in Cumbria, Cambridge Literary Festival’s Winter edition, Chester Literature Festival at Storyhouse, and in Yorkshire, there’s Todmorden Book Festival, Yorkshire Festival of Story and Libraries in Leeds Festival. If you’re feeling adventurous you could try the Literature Festival at Sea onboard a Cunard cruise.
For football fans, check out the Football Voices Festival at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Lots of film festivals including Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York, Birmingham Film Festival, Sheffield’s first festival championing the work of women in cinema, Females Films Screens, Film Noir Fest in Weston-Super-Mare, Leeds International Film Festival, London Action Festival, London Korean Film Festival, Manchester Animation Festival and Cary Comes Home for the Weekend Festival celebrating Bristol’s Archie Leach, otherwise known as Cary Grant.
For music lovers, there’s the EFG London Jazz Festival, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Boundaries Festival in Sunderland.
Theatre and performance festivals include Feast Theatre Festival in Malvern, Worcestershire, Compass Festival with interactive encounters across Leeds, and Voila! Theatre Festival in London celebrating the best of British and European emerging artists.
Being Human Festival is the UK’s national festival of the humanities with hundreds of free events across the UK. Another university-led initiative is the UK’s national Festival of Social Science running into November.
Aerial Festival designed by local creatives focuses on films, sounds and words in the stunning landscape of Ambleside in the Lake District.
International Festival Highlights
Light festivals in November include Zoolights at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington DC, Uppsala Light Festival in Sweden, Lumiart in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Glow in Eindhoven, and also in The Netherlands is Amsterdam Light Festival.
Hip Hop International Dance Fest takes place in San Francisco.
More dance in the San Souci Festival of Dance Cinema in Boulder, Colorado.
Sticking with film, there’s EQUIS, Ecuador’s Feminist Film Festival in Quito, and the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival & Awards.
Ireland’s capital city hosts the Dublin Book Festival including the After Dark Festival Club.
In AlUla, Saudia Arabia, there’s the Ancient Kingdoms Festival including a celebration of the famed incense route.
And the 15th Dakar Biennale looks like it will now take place after a previous postponement, featuring 58 artists.
P.S. If you liked this post, please click on the heart at the bottom or top of this post. It helps others to discover PalmerSquared on Festivals and I’ll be very thankful.
Thank you to Natasha Howes, Liz Pugh, Rowan Cannon and Joel Chester Fildes.
See you next month for more festival news, stories, and insights.
Thanks so much for the mention Helen. Loved this read! X
Another wonderful post.