Lumiere 2015

There has been lots going on in November! How brilliant is Durham to put on a four-day light festival in one of the darkest periods of the year? I went to see it on Friday 13 November – not at all unlucky for me! We also had guests in our AirBnB house who came for Lumiere. Click here to find out more about the house.

Lumiere 2015 was breath-taking. They take place every two years and I have been to four. I would be hard put to choose my favourite although this year’s whale appearing in the Wear was pretty special (‘Mysticete’ by Catherine Garret). The ‘Garden of Light’ by TILT, France was wonderful too:

Another highlight for Amanda Jane Textiles was to see a textiles piece – yipee! ‘Big Knitting’ by Victoria MacLeod was hanging on the wall of Durham Library. The piece of knitting was bright neon green – much greener than in the photograph:

The market place was full of two fish-like creatures (‘Les Lumineoles’ by Porte Par Le Vent, France). It was quite a blowy night, so they seemed to swim and float in the air just above our heads:

Just down the road inside the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, an installation of what looked like Kilner jars, full of images, many moving (‘Supercube’ by Stephane Masson. Many of the audience were reacting and also interacting with this art-work, as their image could be added to it.

A projected series of images on the walls of Castle College, turned them into a series of fantastical tales with glimpses of the Pied Piper, children, rats , worms and other creatures (‘Fool’s Paradise’ by Novak).

And finally, a beautiful sculpture made from recycled plastic bottles in the shape and colours of a rose window in the cathedral. Viewed on its own, in the centre of the cloisters, it glowed against the darkness: