Following last year’s success, the spectacular Illuminate light festival will return to the Royal William Yard between November 22 to 25.
From 5.30pm each night, when darkness descends, the Yard will come alive with beautiful projection mapping, playful light installations and interactive pieces, creating a spectacular immersive experience. Created by artists, tech designers, performers, children and young people, the light festival promises to delight visitors of all ages with a fun and inspiring immersive experience.
Now in its second year at Royal William Yard, and as part of the wider Mayflower 400 programme, the festival aims to grow and will open and close the Mayflower 400 commemorations during Thanksgiving in 2019 and 2020.
Claire Honey, project manager, said:
“Last year’s festival was an amazing spectacle, enjoyed by more than 5,000 people over three days. We are really excited to welcome new artists, creating unique, awe-inspiring experiences that will be enjoyed by both adults and children.”
New for 2018, the festival will add a fourth day, running from November 22 to 25. Illuminate will also host a number of artist-led workshops in the run up to the event, for children to participate in celebrations.
Also new is water screen technology, as artists experiment with projecting onto the sea and land.
Illuminate will see installations from local and international artists. Two international artists invited to showcase their work at the festival are Xavi Bové and Thomas Voillaume.
Spanish artist Xavi Bové’s piece, Visual Songs, is an interactive installation that aims to create a link between songs and its visual representation. His work is personalised for each visitor, allowing them to take a printed version of their personal creation home.
Voillaume’s work, Human, is a monumental video mapped sculpture. The 8ft figure represents an entity of humanoid form that has taken shape in our reality. French artist Thomas Voillaume likes to mix means of expression, surprising his audience and challenging himself.
There will be many other contributing artists, including University of Plymouth alumni Paige Alexander, 1000 Errors and Jamie Knight. Knight, a former student of Plymouth College of Art, is an Illuminate success story, supported last year to develop his own video mapping practice in Plymouth through the Euranim project, funded by European Commission’s Creative Europe programme.
Illuminate is a free event, open to families and people of all ages, which will run from November 22 to 25, from 5.30pm till 10pm at Royal William Yard. Visitors will be able to enjoy a vast range of food and drink from the Yard’s fantastic resident eateries as well as food and drink stalls.
For more information about Illuminate, the programme, artists and opportunities to get involved, visit: www.illuminate-festival.co.uk
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