GRUNDY ART GALLERY
WELCOME TO LIGHTPOOL FESTIVAL
TOWER PROJECTIONS
We are delighted to welcome you to Blackpool for our 2024 edition of Lightpool Festival. Over the next nine nights, the town’s most iconic landmarks will be illuminated by a breathtaking array of light installations, brought to life by the creative minds of talented artists from around the globe.
Step into a magical world and experience the delightful charm of the Blackpool Tower Projections! Let yourself be captivated by the mesmerising display of lights, colours, and music that will transport you to a whimsical era full of vintage allure and soothing tunes.
This year's festival offers something for everyone, including stunning light art, captivating live performances, family-friendly activities, and mesmerising 3D projection shows. Featuring an impressive collection of national and international light installations, as well as the premiere of over 15 new artworks never before seen in the UK, this year’s event is set to be the most visually stunning Lightpool Festival yet! During 2024, with the unwavering support of Arts Council England, we are thrilled to have successfully executed our most extensive community engagement initiative ever; collaborating with over 30 artists in our diverse artist development programmes and workshops; nurtured young and emerging talent to create new artworks, and empowered artists at the start of their journey to showcase their expertise and creativity. Get ready to be spellbound as Carnival Magic takes over the Tower Ballroom once again, showcasing a vibrant display of illuminated Carnival characters and music. Witness a dynamic mix of music, puppetry, and dance that will capture your imagination as Global Grooves International Carnival performers bring a diverse blend of music and magic to the world-renowned Tower Ballroom dance floor. Let yourself be swept along on a unique journey as you cherish each magical moment, and let the light ignite your imagination!
visitblackpool/lightpoolfestival 18 - 26 OCTOBER 2024
Phil Holmes Artistic Director – Lightpool PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
Late-Night Fun at the Museum Enjoy the magic of six immersive galleries at Showtown, 24 after dark.
28 SEPTEMBER – 14 DECEMBER
Immerse yourself in a world of wonder and enchantment as you celebrate Blackpool in a truly unique way! These shows are a must-see for both visitors and locals, showcasing the splendour of Blackpool Tower.
STIM CINEMA
With multiple shows nightly starting at 6pm, you won’t want to miss out on this spectacular experience. Bring your family and friends along to witness the magic first hand and create lasting memories together! Blackpool Tower Projection shows: The Sooty Projection show Micro created by Hotaru Visual Guerrilla Circus 250 History of Dance 2024 Switch On History of Blackpool Enchanted Blackpool created by Cecile Llewelyn-Bowen
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GLOW WITH THE FLOW
+ Collection Spotlight + The pARTnership
Step into a world of vibrant colours and dazzling projections Glow with the Flow comes to town!
Friday 18th– Sunday 26th October 6pm – 10pm (last admission 9pm) £7.50 for all adults Kids go free*
Come to Showtown for a special afternoon of wonder, featuring interactive touch screen sessions that transform short films into multi-sensory adventures. Experience our enchanting light and coloured themed films through touch, sound and movement. An immersive film experience suitable for all the family, especially our sensory seeking young visitors.
*Max of 2 children per adult
A celebration of art, light, music and performance
Session A 1-1:40pm Session B 3 - 3:40pm
Grundy Art Gallery Queen Street Blackpool, FY1 1PU
www.thegrundy.org
Tickets: Child: £2. Accompanying adults go free To book visit showtownblackpool.co.uk or call 0808 175 6929
Carnival Magic.pdf 1 22/08/2024 09:39:11
GROWTH
THE LIGHTPOOL ECLIPSE
THE ILLUMINATED ICE CREAM CART
Hear local poet Nathan Parker’s words, as he teams up with visual artists to create a botanical light projection that grows up the wall behind Revoe’s Temporary Public Square. Growth is a LeftCoast commission that explores the community's Right To Grow in Blackpool.
The Lightpool Eclipse is an exploration of local creative expression, social connection and engagement with nature.
Artist: Samantha Jones Architectural Designer: Ecaterina Stefanescu in collaboration with Grange Park residents
Local workshops were held in Blackpool as we challenged the community of Blackpool to be nature's artists and create their own unique species of digital moths to be viewed as an augmented reality immersive digital experience.
Have you ever wanted to create your own utopia? A community from Grange Park, Blackpool, have been exploring just that. Made with locally grown fruit, their community ice cream project will bring a ‘taste of happiness’ to Lightpool.
Through poetry, Nathan creatively investigates how we can talk about ideas around access to green space, the importance of plants to our wellbeing, foraging and picking fruit. How can residents in a town like Blackpool connect with the natural world around us?
By using your smart phone, The Lightpool Eclipse will appear as an augmented reality digital apparition where the moths created in local workshops will flutter throughout the festival triggered by QR codes.
Former George Pub, 174 Central Drive, FY1 5EA, 19,20-21 October – 6pm to 10pm
BALLROOM BLACKPOOL TOWER
lightpool.eventbrite.co.uk
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LUTN AND SHINE
Immerse yourself in the beauty of this year’s festival with our complimentary guided tours, offering a unique opportunity to uncover the stories behind the captivating artworks featured in the Lightpool Festival programme.
Light up the North (LUTN) is a network of northern light festivals which have come together to share their collective expertise to support both the development of the partner festivals and the wider sector. Through regional, national and international networking and collaboration LUTN nurtures artistic ambition through artist and producer development, co-commissioning and joint fundraising.
Join us for an unforgettable experience and delve deeper into the artistry showcased at Lightpool Festival 2024 on Thursday, October 24th, at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm, starting at Bickerstaffe Square.
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER
Friday 18 October Showtown from 6pm Thursday 24 October Grundy Art Gallery from 6pm
GUIDED TOUR
Engage with our knowledgeable guides, who will be delighted to answer any questions you may have. These exclusive tours will be led by a member of the Lightpool Festival team, and an accredited British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter. The tour typically lasts around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Carnival Magic
The Illuminated Ice Cream Cart - a commission from LeftCoast, led by Artist Samantha Jones and Architectural Designer Ecaterina Stefanescu in collaboration with Grange Park residents, invites you to ask the questions “what makes you happy?” and “who has the right to happiness?”.
On this special evening, Grundy Art Gallery will be open from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, featuring this year’s exhibitions STIM CINEMA + Collection Spotlight + The pARTnership, admission is FREE.
The capacity and depth of cultural practice within the network enables LUTN to support emerging artists, explore technical innovations and create aspirational work to deliver a compelling offer for audiences. The SHINE programme aims to nurture and develop new talent, giving artists the opportunity to exhibit or perform new work at a number of Light Up The North festivals. Artists are selected through an open-call process and will typically be awarded bursaries of up to £15,000 to realise their new artwork. Matthew Tully from the SHINE 2024 artist programme will premiere at Lightpool Festival 2024 with ‘Big Yellow Blobs and the Box that Buzzes’ The LUTN Artist Directory provides an opportunity for artists from all over the world to showcase their work. lightupthenorth.com