Lightpool Blackpool

Established 2016

Since 2016, Blackpool Illuminations has developed the Lightpool Festival, a contemporary light art public showcase for exciting new artistic and technological collaborations. Blackpool Illuminations Lightpool programme was successful in becoming a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England for the investment period 2023-2028. We are the only light sector organisation in the Arts Council portfolio.

Lightpool Blackpool Established 2016

In the past 10 years the Illuminations has developed the Lightpool Festival, a contemporary light art public showcase for exciting new artistic and technological collaborations. Underpinning the Illuminations’ display and festival is a growing programme of artists’ talent development and creative community engagement.

Going forward, bringing an ambitious artistic vision and commissioning high quality art within the Illuminations is central to our mission.

The NPO investment enables us to make a fundamental difference in how creative ambition and experimentation is at the centre of transformational change in the Illuminations with:

New light art being commissioned for both the Illuminations display and Lightpool Festival (working at scale with lead in time to work with inter/national artists from concept to public presentation)
Artists R&D projects including artists’ residencies at Lightworks
Talent development programme delivered through LightLab, DigiLab and SHINE
In-depth creative engagement programme for local people delivered through co-design and co-commissioned projects; and skills development projects for local artists.

Purpose:

Develop Blackpool Illuminations and Lightworks as a creative centre where artists, light technology companies, university innovation teams and inter/national partners come together to experiment, share expertise, & create new experiences for audiences and touring.
Deliver meaningful opportunities for our communities to creatively engage with the Illuminations & festival, employing local creatives; and collaborating with the community on co-curating and co-producing work with local and visiting artists.
Deliver world class light art installations reaching local people and millions of visitors (presently 3M with the majority being low and non-art engagers).
Develop strategic cultural tourism working with Blackpool’s cultural venues, independents and communities.
Reframe negative perceptions of Blackpool through positive national media coverage of our unique offer and through the export of our expertise and works inter/nationally.
Play a key role as a lead partner in the Light Up the North Network.
Raise the level of investment in Blackpool Illuminations for future sustainability.
Share our industry expertise in production to improve sustainable environmental practice in creation and events.

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Lightpool Festival

The two-week festival is held annually in October, providing audiences with a showcase of high-quality light art, featuring a diverse range of works that employ cutting-edge technologies and present innovative creations from both national and international artists, including locally-developed pieces as well as world-class presentations from around the globe.

Artist Development

We engage with esteemed partners and artists, fostering innovative risk-taking in the creation of new works. Our platform facilitates collaboration among artists, designers, lighting technologists, engineers, and representatives from academia and other light festivals, encouraging experimentation and the exchange of best practices.

Engagement

We provide significant opportunities for our communities to engage thoughtfully with the Illuminations and Lightpool, employing local creatives and collaborating with the community to co-curate and co-produce projects with both local and visiting artists.

Events

The festival’s success is greatly enhanced by a varied selection of exceptional events that engage audiences and foster memorable experiences. Each curated event plays a vital role in creating a vibrant atmosphere, inviting attendees to immerse themselves in diverse activities and cultural displays, ensuring all leave with unforgettable memories and a deeper appreciation for the festival.