Durham Lumiere Festival of Light

Durham Lumiere Light Festival

A MAGICAL event took place in Durham last night as the spectacular Lumiere festival of light came to the North-East.

The eyes of the art world were on Durham City as its historic streets, bridges, waterways and gardens are transformed by a series of light-based sculptures and installations.

People are invited to enjoy a series of processions, events and awe-inspiring sights until Sunday 15th November.

The jewel of the festival is expected to be Crown of Light, an ambitious and inspiring commission, which will see the pages of the Lindisfarne Gospels projected in lights 100 metres across Durham Cathedral.

Onlookers who I have spoken too have described the light show projected onto Durham cathedral as out of this world. One woman said " It was something that put a lump in my throat. A truely inspiring and emotional display that I will remember Durham by forever."

In the cathedral’s cloisters, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde invited visitors to walk through densely-planted rows of illuminated “flowers”, in a work called Dune.

The sketches of Durham Prison inmates were turned into huge neon-like structures for Nine Men Drawing, the faces of 100 North-East people of all ages will be projected on to the buildings in Durham Market Place in Heart of the City – A Place for the People, and French artists Quidams will lead a ghostly procession through the city streets for Herbert’s Dream. As we walked through the crowds that lined the streets of Durham, it was easy to sense the emotion and excitement in everyone around. The streets were so busy that Durham felt like the heart of Hollywood.

I once thought it impossible to make Durham City look more beautiful than it already is. How wrong could I possibly be.

In all, work by more than 50 artists were on display in and around Durham City, including seven new commissions.

Shops all around Durham City joined in the Light display and hung various shapes and colours of lights outside thier doors and bridges all across the city were transformed into reds, purples yellows and greens. I giant star stood on the top of Durham Castle. A truely remarkable site.

Nicky Webb, director of festival organiser Artichoke, said: “Our aim was to create a real sense of the city being different for four nights – to make it a magical place. To my mind, that’s what it’s going to be.

“There are 22 different installations all around the city – some things are huge, like the Lindisfarne Gospels on the cathedral, and others that are hidden away, like a neon ladder behind a door.

“My message to the people of the North-East is: wrap up warm and come out. There’s a real sense of excitement in the city and we are really keen that as many people possible join in.”

Lumiere is expected to bring thousands of visitors to the City of Durham, exploiting the explosion in new hotel facilities and attractions that the city now has to offer in its bid for Capital of Culture 2013.

Free Durham Lumiere guides and torches can be collected from Tesco, in Durham Market Place, or Clayport library, in Millennium Place.

More information can also be found at http://www.lumieredurham.co.uk/  Culture chiefs hope Lumiere will be a major boost to Durham’s bid to be named the first UK City of Culture in 2013.

Ms Webb said: “Lumiere is bringing lots of people into Durham, from the region and across the country. Hopefully these pictures of Durham will go around the world and really put Durham on the map.”

I have to agree. It was almost like being in Disneyland last night.