City preparing for the return of Light Night
European artists will be lighting up Leeds with a series of captivating creations when Light Night returns to the city on October 5 and 6.
Taking place just a few weeks before the city officially submits its ambitious bid to be European Capital of Culture in 2023, the arts spectacular will see Leeds host illuminated installations from France and The Netherlands as part of an eclectic international programme.
One of this year’s most striking pieces will see French artists TILT install a series of giant, 12 foot tall lamps on Briggate. The studio’s work explores light and how it interacts with art, architecture and space.
Inspired by architects lamps, the huge structures will be in place on both October 5 and 6 and will be displayed in association with Leeds BID.
TILT’s Claudia Caterin said: “Suddenly facing a giant lamp, people get a new vision of it and feel like they have been transported into a new dimension, with an Alice in Wonderland twist.
“We’ve read about Leeds bidding for Capital Culture and it’s a great project. Culture is a great way to bring new energies to a city and it is important to share it all throughout Europe and beyond. Culture needs to be shared as it get enriched by our diversity and differences.”
The forecourt of Leeds Town Hall will be the setting for the eye-catching POP, which will be brought to the city for its UK premiere by Dutch artists Blauwe Uur on October 5 and 6.
The 12 minute performance will use impressive video projections and music to make a group of mannequins come to life.
Blauwe Uur artist Andrea Dröes said: “When creating POP we wanted to show ideas that replicate, evolve and spread like memes, creating a cultural connection between people. POP is a performance about thoughts and images in our heads.
“We visited Leeds last June to do a site visit in preparation for the festival. Leeds feels like a city with a good atmosphere for cultural expression and it’s always important to exchange creative and cultural energy.”
French video mapping artists Rencontres Audiovisuelles, from Leeds’s twin city of Lille, will also be transforming The Dry Dock on Woodhouse Lane.
The former sand and gravel barge, called The Lambda, is now a popular pub and will be illuminated by the artists on October 5 and 6.
Light Night takes place ahead of Leeds officially submitting its European Capital of Culture bid on October 27.
This year’s Light Night Leeds will see more than 60 arts events taking place across the city centre.
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “Light Night Leeds is one of the biggest, best and brightest occasions on the city’s calendar, bringing together 80,000 people to experience something truly unique and unforgettable.
“It also makes a powerful statement about what the arts mean to Leeds and how much a successful bid to be European Capital of Culture has the capacity to unlock even more of the city’s vast cultural potential.”
