Illuminating times
What : Bristol Light Festival Where : Various sites When : 1-6 March 2022 Image : Andre Pattenden
Bristol Light Festival made its return to the city ’ s streets and open spaces earlier this month with 14 distinct and eye-catching illuminated artworks attracting 170,000 people over the six evening run – almost double the number of attendees at the pre-pandemic 2020 edition .
The event ’ s many spectacular installations included the transformation of Millennium Square into an open-air dancefloor , with the Planetarium becoming a gigantic disco ball ( pictured ).
SC Productions oversaw the production of the city-wide event , which was backed by the Bristol City Centre Business Improvement District with the involvement of 760 local businesses . Other partners included the Redcliffe & Temple BID , Arts Council England and Bristol ’ s City Centre & High Streets Recovery and Renewal programme . The festival was curated and produced by Bristol-based creative director Katherine Jewkes .
Sarah Hemsley-Cole , director of Cardiff-based SC Productions , has worked in the live events industry for the past 25 years , specialising in site , production , event and artist liaison management . She has worked on many large-scale events over the years but says the Bristol Light Festival had a very special atmosphere : “ It was planned with Covid restriction in mind but in the end that was not necessary , and I think that really added to the atmosphere – it felt like Bristol ’ s families had come back out to reclaim their city after so long .”
Hemsley-Cole says that delivering an event in the city centre had its own challenges , not least working around transport rush hours and setting up in high footfall locations , but the experience was both rewarding and enjoyable .
“ We had a great team , many of whom were friends and local to Bristol . It was great to work with them and for our team to get to know Bristol a bit better ,” she says . “ After such a long and difficult period for everyone , it was brilliant to watch people come out in droves , and the joy on their faces as they interacted with instillations .”
Suppliers
• Production delivery – SC Productions Ltd
• Technical delivery – B . E . S .
• Radios – NRB
• Fencing & barriers – Sunbelt
• Projection – Stage Sound Services
• Plant – CW Plant Hire
• Containers – Wernicks
• Lighting ( Disco Ball ) – Fineline
• H & S – Redwood Events
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