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KIRKBY LIGHTS UP FOR LIVERPOOL CITY REGION BOROUGH OF CULTURE
Knowsley ’ s year as Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture got off to an illuminating start , with the switch on of Aqualux in Kirkby Town Centre on Friday 14th January .
Hundreds of people gathered in the town centre to celebrate this exciting start to the year and visitors young and old quickly got into the party spirit .
Spark Illuminated Drummers brought the beat to the heart of Kirkby with their mesmerising performances and soon after Aqualux was officially switched on by Knowsley Council ’ s Deputy Leader , Cllr Louise Harbour .
Cllr Harbour commented : “ After months in the planning , we wanted this first event to be really special – and it was ! It was wonderful to see so many people and there was such a lovely atmosphere . Everyone was really enjoying themselves and getting involved – dancing and singing along to Aqualux . And that ’ s what Borough of Culture is all about – we want everyone to get involved and enjoy themselves , create memories and enjoy these special moments . And this is just the start , there is so much more happening , and I hope that Aqualux has given people a taste of what to expect throughout the rest of the year .”
Aqualux is the first of a series of light installations coming to Knowsley to form ‘ New Dawn ’ and which kicks of the borough ’ s year programme of events . The stunning 8-metre by 3-metre-wide light installation consists of 48 containers which can hold up to 1,000 litres of water – that is the same as the average water consumption of one person in a year , just at home . Coming to life after dark , the illuminated artwork is accompanied by music to create a memorable and magical experience whilst also raising awareness of the need to conserve and protect our fragile water supplies .
Aqualux will be illuminated between 4pm and 9pm , every day until Friday 28 January . The experience will run on a loop for 20 minutes with a short break in between meaning visitors can arrive at any time after 4pm to experience the attraction . There is no need to book tickets and it is completely free to the public .
New Dawn As part of Knowsley ’ s New Dawn programme Aqualux will be complemented by additional light installations across the borough . Details below :
Gaia – 28 January to 17 February – St . Chad ’ s Church Kirkby Luke Jerram ’ s ‘ Gaia ’ is an astonishing 6-metre-wide replica of the earth based on imagery and data from NASA . Suspended in the air and slowly revolving , the artwork – which will be housed in St . Chad ’ s Church in Kirkby – gives people a chance to see the planet , floating in three dimensions . A specially made surround sound composition by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones is played alongside the sculpture .
Tall Tales – 4 and 5 February 2022 – 6pm onwards ( last showing 7.30pm ) – Stockbridge Village Tall Tales is a brand-new large-scale community artwork that will see Merecliff – a residential 16 storey tower in Stockbridge Village ( adjacent to the M57 motorway ) – animated and illuminated in light . The dramatic projection which will be accompanied by a soundtrack , will tell the story of local people and communities who have shared their stories captured , interpreted and exaggerated by artists Illuminos .
Submergence – 12 to 26 February – Huyton Village Centre Submergence , created by world renowned artists Squid Soup , is a reflective , immersive walkthrough experience that will go on display in Sherbourne Square in Huyton Village . Consisting of thousands of individual points of suspended light , visitors are encouraged to enter the artwork to experience the amazing light illusion for themselves .
New Dawn Light Spectacular – 18 and 19 February – 2 showings per night 6pm and 9pm – Knowsley Hall The New Dawn programme will come to a spectacular climax over two consecutive evenings in February . In two showings per evening , the iconic Knowsley Hall will be illuminated in a series of dramatic projections recreating a vision of a pop-up story book – a fairy-tale of lights and sound telling the stories of Knowsley . Delivered by video projection artist ’ s Illuminos and accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack from renowned composer Patrick Dineen the spectacular will create a unique and memorable moment for all visitors . The ballot for tickets for this event has now closed . merseylife . com 23