Claire Davis, Still from 'Wonderland'. Courtesy of the artist & Vane Gallery

GLOW: New NVA visual art light festival

Oct 26, 2006

GLOW NewcastleGateshead’s Festival of Light 30 November, 1, 2 December 2006 7, 8, 9 December 2006 31 December 2006

Following the great success of Radiance, Glasgow Festival of Light 05, NVA have been commissioned to produce and curate GLOW, NewcastleGateshead’s first International Festival of Light.

GLOW will bring a brilliant array of world-class lightworks, celebrated artists and emerging talent to the city over two weekends in early December 2006. NVA are working with local arts organisations and galleries as well as internationally renowned artists in order to showcase an impressive visual arts programme that will excite visitors and bring unexpected delight to passer-by’s.

A large part of the festival will be a range of lighting initiatives to celebrate the urban diversity of NewcastleGateshead’s architecture, a striking mix of old, modern and contemporary. GLOW will explore and highlight both iconic landmarks, as well as hidden, quirky buildings and features. The programme will offer a fascinating glimpse of a stimulating and enchanting world set within the familiar city streets. It is an opportunity for people to rediscover the city. In essence, you will be taken on a journey of discovery and exploration, whether it is north to south, east to west but never being more than a short walk from the next point of interest. Festival goers will walk a ‘trail’ from one artwork to the next following the Festival route map.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

The Shadow House at Saltwell Park and Benwell will see great Victorian brick edifices transformed to become the central focus for a winter fairytale setting, with original animated films projected from the interiors of the buildings.

The Vampire Rabbit Trail will see Newcastle’s legendary and mysterious rabbit, which is carved above a doorway by St Nicholas Cathedral, appearing as a repeated motif around the main festival sites. The trail will give children an engaging challenge to mark down and collect all the bunny locations on the festival map.

An International Collaboration with Monica Bonvicini, Not For You, 2006. Bonvicini is considered one of the most important artists of her generation exploring political issues in relation to physical space. GLOW will feature part of her ongoing series of work Not For You, which uses words and messages in large glowing light forms.

Mobile is a high profile collaboration between NVA and Name (recent producers of the Vamos Festival) creating an innovative and lively showcase for GLOW which will engage the widest possible range of participants and audiences. A huge mobile architectural installation set on a lorry, picking up on the history of the first mobile discotheques and disco floors (think Saturday Night Fever) will appear unexpectedly across Newcastle and Gateshead to inspire impromtu Street parties and celebrations. It will include music and dance workshops mixing budding local talent with nationally profiled DJs. Specific dance routines will be collected from an eclectic range of dance groups and choreographers throughout the 2 week festival, leading up to a great ‘Dance-Off’ outside Newcastle Council Civic Chambers on New Year’s Eve.

From engaging community projects to the chance to see the work of some of the most important international visual artists GLOW promises to be a powerful centrepiece for the NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival 06.

For more information on GLOW please download the programme HERE

or visit the website at www.visitnewcastlegateshead.com/GLOW

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