Arts coup as city prepares to be tranformed in festival (From Durham Times)

Arts coup as city prepares to be tranformed in festival

1:52pm Friday 9th October 2009

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DURHAM has pulled off a spectacular arts coup.

Lumiere – billed as “an ambitious and spectacular festival of light” – is to be staged in the city over four nights, from November 12.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the festival, which will feature leading international and UK artists and is being staged by Artichoke, the London production company behind some of the country’s most remarkable large-scale live events.

The company’s most recent successes include Antony Gormley’s Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square; La Machine, which saw a 50ft spider walking the streets of Liverpool; and The Sultan’s Elephant, a 42-tonne mechanical elephant in procession through London.

Further details of Lumiere are expected to be announced in coming weeks, but organisers said it will “set Durham ablaze, picking out and t r a n s f o r m i n g the landmarks, streets, river and bridges of the city in new and unimagined ways”.

The company said: “Durham will provide the stunning canvas for leading international and UK artists and performers to work with light, fusing together sight, sound and movement in a m e s m e r i s i n g series of sitespecific installations, new commissions and performances.”

The announcement comes a week before Durham submits its outline bid to be named the UK City of Culture for 2013.

Paul Gudgin, creative consultant for Durham’s City of Culture bid, said: “After the success of Enlightenment last year, which attracted 30,000 visitors to the city, the potential was there to create a truly spectacular and inspirational event for Durham as part of our broader cultural offering.”

“We asked Artichoke to produce this year’s festival because of their track record of live events that leave a lasting impression on the people and places they transform.”

George Garlick, chief executive of Durham County Council, added: “What a coup this is. It’s great for Durham to be working with a company of the pedigree of Artichoke.”

Among the artists who will take part in the project, in partnership with Sky Arts, are British-based collective United Visual Artists, along with international artists Ron Haselden, Simon Corder and Daan Roosegaarde, projection artist Ross Ashton, lighting designer Mark Major, London studio Creatmosphere and French theatrical magicians Quidams. A piece by Airvag at a previous festival is pictured.

Helen Marriage, co-director of Artichoke, said: “The element of surprise and delight is key to what we do.

“Whether we work with artists who create 50ft-high moving elephants, 42-tonne spiders or tunnels under the Atlantic, all our work is about giving the public unforgettable, magical experiences that make them look at their surroundings in a different way.

“Durham is a wonderful city and we’re pleased to have been invited to produce Lumiere there.”

Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of Sky Arts, said: “I can’t wait to see Lumiere in Durham. Having heard about the plans from the Sky Arts and Artichoke teams, I know it’s going to be a spectacular event.”

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