The town’s first free festival of light is set to transform the way Poole looks by casting a whole new light.
Light Up Poole, sponsored by Poole BID and funded by Arts Council England, taking place from 15 to 17 February and presents a complimentary series of opportunities to see Poole as it has never been seen before, as the town centre becomes the backdrop for dramatic light art and digital installations after dark.
Libby Battaglia, creative director at Audacious, commented: “We’ve chosen the theme of identity and challenged digital architects and lighting designers to reinvent themselves and consider the town as their main inspiration.
“Light Up Poole will show how something as simple as light can completely transform a place you think you know. It’s warm, it’s safe, people are drawn by it to come together and share their experience.
“It is a great opportunity for the people of Poole to really celebrate its growing reputation as a destination for artistic excellence, cultural learning and innovative collaborations between business and the arts.”
The town centre will be divided into 11 zones throughout the festival, beginning at Lighthouse, through to Town Quay. Various venues across Poole town centre will be showcasing new artwork and interactive installations.
Highlights include:
:: Arbour – a new work by multi-media artist Mark Parry who works with cross-art combinations of light, film, digital video and photography to convey meaning through evocative and emotive imagery and sound.
:: Sounds of Poole – an inspirational learning project focused on music technology. Devised by SoundStorm, Bournemouth and Poole’s music education hub, sound artist Jon Adams is working with pupils from Poole schools to record sounds of the town. These clips will be incorporated in an illuminated soundscape to be played at the Fish Shambles during the festival.
Light Up Poole is the first in a number of events planned in 2018 to celebrate the 40thbirthday of Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts.
Phil Gibby, south-west director for Arts Council England, said: “We’re delighted to support Audacious through our National Lottery-funded Grants for the Arts programme. This award supports Audacious to develop local, national and international talent by showcasing artists through Light Up Poole.”
