Over 30 immersive and interactive light-based installations, performances and activities will once again feature right across the city centre as a part of this popular after-dark event.
Old Market Square will come alive with Pulse, a large-scale light sculpture exploring the perspectives of audio-visual perception. Designed by creative team Loop, this tightly synced and choreographed journey for all ages features over 14,000 individually programmable LEDs, stretched around twelve 4m diameter walk-through mirrored rings.
Another highlight will be Evanescent, an immersive light and sound environment that aims to capture the concept of transience in a visual form: the bubble. The artwork was inspired when the world stopped and everything we took for granted started to disappear. Sydney-based design studio Atelier Sisu communicates this feeling and the need to live in the moment through the idea of the bubble. Evanescent will be located at Sneinton Market Square.
The Nectary on Carrington Street invites visitors to experience ‘the hum of the earth’ as they mimic pollinating insects underneath huge glowing flowers, in a nod to the city’s Green Heart vision for the Broad Marsh re-development.
The Tom Dale Company and Inspire Youth Arts will also return with Urban Explorers Sub:Version, that will see youth dance groups performing alongside professional dancers, celebrating light, choreography and electronic music at Nottingham Contemporary. Inspire Youth Arts once again takes over St Mary’s Church with their Re-Move installation, exploring human displacement and consequences of climate change.
Saturday will see City Arts’ community lantern parade cutting a route through the city centre, passing a joyful installation of Neon Dogs complete with bones and dog poo, aptly on Hounds Gate.
Plus, there are many more installations and events from Nottingham Trent University’s Arkwright Building down to Binks Yard and from the Robin Hood Statue to Sussex Street, bringing communities together to celebrate the city. There is even a special commission at Lister Gate to remember and honour Nottingham’s much-loved Xylophone Man.
Organised by Nottingham City Council in partnership with Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), the organisation behind It’s in Nottingham; the event is also being supported with funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
With so many amazing installations across the city centre there is something to illuminate everyone’s imagination, whether they’re an arts and culture enthusiast, looking for a free family trip out, or are simply eager to get the perfect shot for their Instagram.
Attendees will be able to plan their visit, itineraries and read more about the installations using the Light Night App, which will be available to download before the event on the IoS App Store and Google Play. There will also be a small number of pre-printed guides available from the Tourist Information Centre and at key locations on the day.
Cllr Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said: “Now in its 15th year, I’m delighted that Nottingham’s Light Night will once again open-up spaces after dark and illuminate our city centre, with many free events and activities for everyone to enjoy, shining a light on Nottingham’s communities as we celebrate our diverse city. Alongside the impressive audio-visual installations, you can watch stunning dance performances, listen to great music at Binks Yard and Trinity Square, or soak up Nottingham’s stories with a number of exhibitions across the city. It’s brilliant to see national and international artists from as far away as Australia presenting light-based art and installations alongside Nottingham’s local creatives.”