Tag: lumiere

Save The Date! Lumiere Returns With Director’s Cut of Past Festival Favourites For 10th Anniversary Edition 14th – 17th November 2019

By on 14th November 2018in Places To Go, What's On?
Lumiere

The biennial Lumiere light festival, produced by leading arts charity Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council, will return to Durham city from the 14th – 17th November 2019. Lumiere 2019 will mark 10 years since the festival first launched in Durham in 2009.

Since 2009, Lumiere has become a leading light in the cultural calendar of the North East with a worldwide reputation for excellence. Visitors to the 2019 anniversary edition can expect to see exciting new commissions created by UK and international artists, alongside some of the festival’s most memorable installations from the past decade. The artistic programme is under wraps for now but be the first to know what’s happening by signing up to the newsletter at the newly-revamped festival website, Lumiere-festival.com.

Helen Marriage, Director of Artichoke, comments: “It’s exciting to be planning for this 10 th anniversary edition and I’m especially looking forward to selecting my “Director’s Cut” from previous festivals. Over the last decade, around 150 artworks made by hundreds of artists and technicians have created a magical journey of discovery through the cityscape, involving thousands of community participants”. Sarah Coop, Artichoke’s Development Director adds: “This has only been possible with the help and support of local sponsors and funders large and small. What is so wonderful about Lumiere Durham is that it is a massive community effort. Everyone comes together to make it happen. We are calling on local business to support this spectacular anniversary edition and become proud partners in this event which offers a showcase to the world”.

Since its inception in 2009, Lumiere has grown year on year and now attracts hundreds of thousands of local and national visitors to Durham, looking to experience the historic city ablaze with light. The festival, which contributes significantly to the local economy, experienced a record 240,000 visitors in 2017 across an expanded footprint, with more than half of the installations located outside the central peninsula area.

Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “Lumiere has been really important for County Durham over the past ten years, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and bringing millions of pounds into the economy. Its programme of community engagement has also ensured that residents from across the county are not only able to enjoy the festival but also have the opportunity to get directly involved in it.

“I am very much looking forward to Lumiere 2019, which promises to be another spectacular event. Although the programme has yet to be announced, Heron is the perfect reminder of what we can expect next year.”

It is fitting that the city now known as ‘Place of Light’ should become the permanent home of some of the festival’s installations. On Tuesday 13th November, Heron, an illuminated homage to one of England’s most magnificent birds, will be unveiled as a permanent public sculpture on the banks of the River Wear.

Created by artist Jon Voss and debuted at the 2017 festival, this permanent acquisition has been made possible through the generous support of the Banks Community Fund. Heron adds to a growing collection of public art in Durham City, supported by the Fund and maintained by Durham County Council.

Mark Dowdall, Environment and Community Director at The Banks Group, said: “As a longstanding County Durham-based business, we are proud to be helping to further extend Lumiere’s local cultural legacy by enabling the eye-catching Heron to become a permanent part of the Durham City landscape.

“This is the third permanent Lumiere installation that we have supported through the Banks Community Fund, following Helvetictoc at Clayport Library and Lightbench at Freeman’s Quay, and we believe they all make a positive, long-lasting contribution to both local residents’ and visitors’ enjoyment of our wonderful city.”

Lumiere is made possible through the support of commissioning body Durham County Council, Arts Council England and a host of funders and supporters. Fundraising for the 2019 edition is underway with local developer Arlington being one of the first to sign up. Find out more about how to get involved by contacting Artichoke’s Development Director: sarah.coop@artichoke.uk.com

Lumiere Festival Volunteers To Be Honoured For Their Efforts

By on 22nd November 2015in In & Around

Around 170 Festival Makers who helped some 200,000 people enjoy the UK’s largest light festival earlier this month are to be honoured for their efforts…

 

A formal thank you to the volunteers who supported Lumiere will take place this week at Durham Town Hall, and all invited have been contacted. The special event will be attended by Cllr Jan Blakey, Chairman of Durham County Council, as well as representatives from Lumiere producers, Artichoke, and the sponsors of this year’s Festival Makers, Northumbrian Water.

Lumiere, which ran November 12th to 15th, is an Artichoke production and was commissioned by the county council for the fourth time in 2015. Its 29 fabulous artworks attracted record crowds and were spread across the city. They included a colossal whale in the Wear, a ghostly fog below the Cathedral and a fantastic tale of myth and fable combined with local history, projected onto the Castle.

Ensuring a better experience for visitors was one of the main tasks of the army of Festival Makers, supported by Northumbrian Water, who provided a welcoming face and great knowledge of the city for the audience.

Chairman of the council, Cllr Jan Blakey, said: “Lumiere is spectacular but it was all the better for the wonderful work of the volunteer Festival Makers, who maintained their enthusiasm despite some pretty inclement weather.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly and I look forward to meeting them all in person at our special event.”

Louise Hunter, Director of Corporate Affairs at Northumbrian Water, said: “The Lumiere festival has gone from strength to strength and with the help of the Festival Makers, 2015 has been a record-breaking, best year ever.

“We’re proud to have played a part by supporting the Festival Makers, who braved the elements to help with the smooth running of the event.”

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Lumiere 2015: Details Of Planned Road Closures

By on 2nd November 2015in Entertainment, Events, Lifestyle, Local Biz, Places To Go, What's New?, What's On?

With descriptions ranging from breath-taking to bedazzling and world-class to wonderful, why spoil your experience of the UK’s largest light festival by worrying about how to get there?

Lumiere returns to Durham for the fourth time November 12th to 15th, and tens of thousands of people are expected to enjoy another spectacular show, which includes 28 art works.

The festival is an Artichoke production, commissioned by Durham County Council, and to help visitors make the most of the occasion, there will be:

  • Extra and extended Park and Ride facilities – £2 per person.
  • Additional bus services.
  • A live traffic and travel feed from 2pm until 11pm on each of the four days using #lumieredurham.
  • Limited Park and Stride facility at County Hall and DLI (expected to be very busy very early. We strongly advise people to use Park and Ride services).

Dave Wafer, strategic traffic manager at the council, said: “This year we have more than 6,000 Park and Ride spaces available. These include two additional temporary sites at Merryoaks on the A167 and at New College to the north of County Hall. Merryoaks alone can take 2,500 cars.

“Throughout the event we will provide a live traffic and travel feed using #lumieredurham on Facebook and Twitter. This will include information on which Park and Ride sites have spaces, specific highways or traffic issues, major road closure reminders as well as answering as many questions as we can from the public.

“We hope that together these measures will help people get the most from this fantastic event.”

More information on all the traffic and travel options, including the additional bus services and operating times for Park and Ride, can be found here www.durham.gov.uk/lumiere.

During the festival there will also be some significant road closures and restrictions.

 

LumiereRoadRestrictionsMilburngateBridgeAndNorthRoad

On Milburngate Bridge one lane will be closed eastbound for the duration of the festival. This is necessary to keep the many thousands of spectators expected as safe as possible as they cross the bridge.

Barriers will be put in place to separate pedestrians and motorists using the bridge. Unfortunately this will involve closing the eastbound carriageway overnight on Wednesday November 11th from 8pm, so they can be safely installed. The bridge will also close in an eastbound direction overnight on Sunday 15th November so the barriers can be removed before Monday morning traffic.

This year a section of the A690 – between Milburngate roundabout and North Road Roundabout (next to the viaduct) – will be closed from 4pm each day of the festival. This includes the roundabout, which will only allow access for buses. Alternative routes will be sign posted.

 

Dave Wafer again: “Unfortunately you can’t put on an event of this scale without some interruption, but we hope that by providing advance notice people will have plenty of time to plan their routes. We would strongly suggest that people who usually commute through Durham consider an alternative route during the festival.

“We are keeping road closures to a minimum and where they are needed in the interests of public safety, and to provide the best possible festival experience, we would ask for everyone’s support and patience.”

A full list of road closures is available here www.durham.gov.uk/lumiere.

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