Glow

Newcastle, Gateshead’s Festival of Light

Nov 30, 1, 2 Dec - 7, 8, 9 Dec & 31 Dec 2006

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

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

A large element of the festival was the eclectic range of lighting initiatives which celebrated the urban diversity of NewcastleGateshead’s architecture, a striking mix of old, modern and contemporary. GLOW explored and highlighted both iconic landmarks, as well as hidden, quirky buildings and features. The programme offered a fascinating glimpse of a stimulating and enchanting world set within the familiar city streets. It was an opportunity for people to rediscover the city. In essence, they were taken on a journey of discovery and exploration, whether north to south, east to west, but never more than a short walk from the next point of interest. Festival goers walked roung a GLOW ‘trail’ from one artwork to the next following the Festival route map.

Programme highlights

The Shadow House at Saltwell Park and Benwell saw the 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 used 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 gave children an engaging challenge to mark down and collect all the bunny locations on the festival map.

GLOW presented 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 featured part of her ongoing series of work Not For You, which saw this title, 3 metres high, light up the skyline by flashing intermittlently along the top of the Tyne Brige towers.

Mobile was an inspirational community collaboration between NVA and Name (recent producers of the Vamos Festival) creating an innovative and lively showcase which engaged the widest possible range of participants and audiences. A specially designed mobile disco, set in a perspex cube travelled around a wide range of venues for impromptu dance events and music workshops. It was inspired bt the history of the first mobile discotheques and disco floors (think Saturday Night Fever). Mobile presented music and dance workshops mixing budding local talent with nationally profiled DJs adn covered an eclectic range of dance styles and cultures.

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

For more information on GLOW please download the full programme HERE

or visit the website at www.visitnewcastlegateshead.com/1971/GLOW.html