21 October 2023
Get ready to be inspired! You have the chance to connect with experienced light-creation professionals and take part in a dynamic program full of symposia, presentations, learning opportunities, and meetings with the organising teams of light festivals and Arts Council England. This is your chance to discuss current topics and open yourself up to fresh approaches and new sources of inspiration.
To help you and your organisation achieve success with a more audience-focused approach, our keynote speakers will dive into the topics that matter most to you right now. They will share tips and insights, as well as offer their expertise on a range of topics, including
We have handpicked an amazing lineup of speakers who will guide you towards unlocking new insights to take your work and organisation to the next level. So, mark your calendars and get ready for an amazing event that will leave you energized and motivated!
Are you ready to be inspired and connect with like-minded individuals? Join us at the conference where we will explore new ideas, generate collaborations, and challenge ourselves to think differently. We aim to create a space for you to re-examine your relationship with light festivals and explore how we can work together to make a greater impact. You will have the opportunity to network with others in the sector and learn from keynote speakers who will provoke and stimulate debate. We believe this conference will ignite your passion for creating meaningful experiences and help you become a leader in your field. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow, learn, and be inspired!
Who is it aimed at
Artists, creative producers and organisations in the creative and cultural industries who have a connection to light.
When: Saturday 21 October 10am – 5pm
Where: The Imperial Hotel, Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 2HB
We are thrilled to present a conference that will spark new ideas, provoke innovative thinking, and generate collaboration within our sector. This event is a space for us to re-examine our relationship with light festivals and explore new boundaries.
Our aim is to inspire attendees with exciting content that will ignite passion and create a shared vision for the future. We believe that by engaging in meaningful dialogue and debate, we can provide leadership examples that will shape the future of our industry. We are committed to providing a networking opportunity where attendees can connect, share their experiences, and come away with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration. It is our hope that this conference will serve as a catalyst for positive change and transformation.
Phil Holmes – Artistic Director, Lightpool
Phill Hargreaves – Co-chair, Light Up The North
Deborah Best – Relationship Manager, Combined Arts, Arts Council England
Get ready to ignite your creativity and spark your passion for light festivals! Join us for an exciting session where you’ll discover the magic behind 4 of the bright light festivals in the Light Up the North Network – Light Up Lancaster, Lightwaves Salford, Illuminate Oldham, and Light Night Wigan & Leigh.
You’ll hear from the creative producers who have delivered outstanding achievements over the years, and they’ll be sharing their invaluable experiences on how to get started and create a spectacular light festival. As an artist, you’ll also learn how to get your artwork programmed into these amazing festivals. Get inspired and let’s bring more light and wonder to our world!
Hosted by Abbe Robinson – Co-chair Light Up The North
Panel:
Rachel Wood – Creative Programmes and Event Manager, Oldham Council
Gemma Saunders and Jude Jagger – Things That Go On Things
Julie Brown – Creative Producer, Light Up Lancaster
Kate Doyle – Head of Programme,Lightwaves Salford
By attending this session, you will have the opportunity to gain insights from leading experts, and new artists, in the field of light art; both internationally and here in the UK.
Light festivals have the power to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary environments, evoke powerful emotions, and bring communities together in magical ways. During this panel session, you will discover how artists utilise light to create stunning displays that leave a lasting impact at large-scale events, provide a calming atmosphere for relaxation, or an intimate experience for audiences.
We will also discuss the crossover between the more performative side of outdoor arts and the light night sector, as creative exchanges become more commonplace.
Whether you are an aspiring artist or simply intrigued by the impact of light, this session is bound to be an enriching experience for all. Join us now and immerse yourself in the transformative and magical world of light art.
Hosted by George Harris – Producer Light Up Lancaster
Panel:
Ander Ugartemendia and Jone Vizcaino, Hotaru Visual Guerilla
Stephen Newby – Studio Vertigo
Axolotl
Angus MacKechnie – Director, Outdoor Arts UK
An opportunity to find out more about the work of the artists, the process of bringing their works to life, an insight into their career journeys and how their work aligns with Grundy Art Gallery’s curatorial programming. A chaired conversation followed by Q&A.
LAURA DALY
Laura Daly is a multi-award-winning artist who creates site specific and site related artworks that reside on the edge of an absence. Working in sound, video, drawing, painting and digital media, her artworks are rooted in in-depth research, where evidence, trace or suggestion generate a haunted exposition of our surroundings and capture a particular kind of longing. Fusing together history, memory, myth and story, local stories and people also contribute.
SHEZAD DAWOOD
Shezad Dawood is a multidisciplinary artist who interweaves stories, realities and symbolism to create richly layered artworks, spanning painting, textiles, sculpture, film and digital media.
LINDSAY TAYLOR
Lindsay has led the strategic development of the University of Salford Art Collection since 2013. She is passionate about supporting artists and developing collections that tell stories of now. Working in partnership is at the heart of all activity.
Hosted by Paulette Brien – Curator, Grundy Art Gallery
Panel:
Laura Daly – artist, The Storm Cone
Shezad Dawood – artist, Island Pattern
Lindsay Taylor – Curator,University of Salford Art Collection
Light up Equity is a series of provocation’s, conversations and discussions around diversifying the light art sector. How do we connect with new artists from the global majority? What are we doing to support artists with disabilities? And how do we continue to diversify the light art sector so its reflective of the communities we seek to reach.
Hosted by Shanaz Gulzar – Creative Director of Bradford 2025
Panel:
Akeelah Bertram
Ajay Chhabra – Co-founder,Nutkhut
David Gaffney and Karen Cody will talk about how the Arts Council supports artists, and what sort of projects can be funded; with a focus on Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice.
Panel:
David Gaffney – Senior Relationship Manager, ACE
Karen Cody – Relationships Manager, ACE
Let’s get creative! Light Up The North and its members are thrilled to invite passionate artists and organisations to submit their proposals for exciting new commissions. This is an extraordinary chance for artists to shine a light on their remarkable work and showcase their skills at the biggest light festivals in the North!
We are on the lookout for new, original and unique pieces of light art that will captivate the public and bring light art to an even wider audience.
We anticipate high demand for this session, so places must be reserved when making your conference booking. Sessions are restricted to a maximum of 10minutes to pitch, 5 minutes Q&A, and 2 representatives from your organisation. A briefing document will be forwarded following your booking.
With:
Abbe Robinson – Principal Arts Project Officer, Light Night Leeds
Rachel Candler – Producer, Lightwaves Salford
Carolyn Primett – Head of Arts, Blackpool Council
Richard Williams – Manager, Blackpool Illuminations
Julie Brown – Creative Producer, Light Up Lancaster
George Harris – Producer, Light Up Lancaster
Rachel Willis – Director, Stella Creates
Lyndsey Stephenson – Director, Stella Creates
Rachel Wood – Creative Programmes and Event Manager, Oldham Council
Neil Harris – Business Manager Culture, Arts & Heritage,Wigan Council
Award-winning artist, Chila Kumari Singh Burman will be in conversation with Grundy Art Gallery Curator, Paulette Brien. Together they will unpack some of the key concerns at the heart of the artist’s work and discuss how her work has evolved over the four decades of her practice.
In conversation followed by Q&A
Dr Chila Kumari Singh Burman (Punjabi: ਚਿਲਾ ਕੁਮਾਰੀ ਬਰਮਨ) is a British artist, celebrated for her radical feminist practice which examines representation, gender and cultural identity. She works across a wide range of mediums including printmaking, drawing, painting, installation and film.
A significant figure in the Black British Art movement of the 1980s, Burman remains one of the first British Asian female artists to have a monograph written about her work; Lynda Nead’s Chila Kumari Burman: Beyond Two Cultures (1995).
In 2018, she received an honorary doctorate from University of the Arts London for her impact and recognised legacy as an international artist. In 2020 she was invited into the Art Workers’ Guild as a Brother and in 2022, Burman was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to visual art.
Hosted by Paulette Brien – Curator, Grundy Art Gallery
Panel:
Dr . Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE
Light Festivals are shining a light on innovative ways to transform communities and attract tourism. By using light as a medium, these festivals ignite creativity, encourage active participation, and bring people together. You can play a crucial role in tapping into the power of community engagement and art.
Our speakers will inspire you to create a programme of work that fosters positivity and delivers tangible benefits to your local community. Together, we can illuminate the power of community-driven art projects and create a brighter future for all.
Hosted by Melanie Whitehead – TESP Artistic Director, Lead for the Old Electric
Panel:
Tina Redford – Artistic Director, LeftCoast
Leon Patel – CEO Global Grooves
Sabir Musaji – Community Development Manager, The Leap
These one-to-one National Lottery Project Grant (NLPG) development conversations are for those who are planning to make an Arts Council England application for up to £30,000, and are first time applicants.
The one-to-one sessions are an opportunity to discuss a particular project in mind in more detail with a Relationship Manager from Arts Council England.
With:
Deborah Best – Relationship Manager, Combined Arts
Angela Chappel – Relationship Manager, Combined Arts
We Are Blackpool
Representing Blackpool’s vibrant local community, with a bespoke soundtrack, We Are Blackpool is a once in a lifetime snapshot of soulful reflections and poignant, personal perspectives. Honest, raw, real. Words weaved with wonder by a poetic maestro.
Aiming to give everyone a magical glimpse into the special place Blackpool is, its unique history and its diverse and eclectic communities.
The result is a warm and witty poem, showcasing the towns people, passions, and cultural credentials.
With:
Phil Holmes – Artistic Director, Lighpool
Carolyn Primett – Head of Arts, Blackpool Council
