On and around the Ham … 5.30pm to 8.00pm … Friday 9th, Saturday 10th … Thursday 15th, Friday 16th & Saturday 17th February
“The Winter Lights Festival ’24 brings together light sculptures, projections and lanterns to the Sensory Garden and Riverside Walkway, the Ham and Sidmouth Wallspace.”
“This low-carbon, free event features a trail of artworks that each highlight the need to save our seas and protect them for future generations. Look out for the calls to action and opportunities to get involved in local initiatives.“
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Last month, the question went out on the Sidmouth Repair Café social media pages: Have you got any old vacuum cleaner hose?!. – as this was needed for the group’s contribution to the upcoming Festival of Light – which is all about “marine stewardship, recycling materials and climate change”.
This event, happening over February half term, links with what other groups are looking to promote – including the Vision Group for Sidmouth, the Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth and the Sidmouth Repair Café. This, then, is the Sidmouth On Sea – Save Our Sea Winter Lights Festival as conceived and put together by the Sidmouth School Of Art:
Light sculptures, projections and more where the Byes, the River Sid and the sea merge. Let’s celebrate emerging from the dark of winter into the hopeful light of springtime and rally around the theme of Save Our Seas. Fri 9th, Sat 10th, Thurs 15th, Fri 16th & Sat 17th Feb 5.30pm to 8.00pm Sidmouth Trawlers, Sea Sides & Tacos, Daisy Blue Delights – 5pm 9.30pm, Fishermen’s Shed Bar 5pm – later
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It’s a very full programme over the week.
Here’s the full map and design: Winter Lights Festival ’24 | Sidmouth School Of Art:
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There’s a real mix of art and installations – each with a message:
The Winter Lights Festival ’24 brings together light sculptures, projections and lanterns to the Sensory Garden and Riverside Walkway, the Ham and Sidmouth Wallspace, where the Byes, the River Sid and the sea meet. This low-carbon, free event features a trail of artworks that each highlight the need to save our seas and protect them for future generations. Look out for the calls to action and opportunities to get involved in local conservation and biodiversity initiatives.
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This is from the press release – much of which the Herald reflected in its coverage of Sidmouth’s Winter Lights Festival:
This new sustainable, low carbon event provides a welcome opportunity to step outside, socialise and get inspired to act local and think global!
The Winter Lights Festival will feature 14 installations … Curated by lighting artist Zac Greening, the installations are the artists responses to the festival theme Save Our Seas. Each artwork is inspired by the challenges faced by climate change and aims to encourage conversations and connections and empower actions that can be taken both individually and collectively.
A creative sculpture made by Sidmouth Repair Café will also feature, located in the Sensory Garden. Sidmouth School of Art invited their collaboration because it is initiatives like repair cafés that get us thinking about our throwaway habits and more-sustainable ways to reuse and recycle our waste.
The festival is a new sustainable cultural event timed to coincide with local schools half-term, the perfect activity for children, friends and family. The event is free and festival goers will be able to stop and chat and get a drink at the Fishermen’s Shed Bar, hot drinks and cakes at Daisy Blue Delights, and a warming bite to eat at Sea Sides and Tacos with Fish and Chips by Sidmouth Trawlers in the Fishermen’s Yard.
Louise Cole, Sidmouth School of Art: “We are really excited to be bringing a new event to the Sidmouth calendar out of the high season – as part of our ethos to support Sidmouth to thrive 365. The focus is well and truly on the environment and community wellbeing. We were inspired by the Scandinavian concept of stepping outside whatever the weather and connecting with nature and others, emerging from the depths of winter as Spring approaches.”
The project is supported both by Sidmouth School of Art and a range of funders including Creative East Devon Fund, Sidmouth Town Council, Sidmouth Hotels, Potburys of Sidmouth and Voyage Travel Marketing and Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce.
To finish, here’s an example of one of the pieces on display:
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ARTWORK 1. PRICELESS BY eARTh VADER
Priceless is a barcode that represents Earth’s biodiversity at risk from human activities that put profit over our planet
Profit or planet? You choose… nearly half of the world’s 230,000 marine species are in decline
Act now – buy products that support conservation and boycott products that pollute our oceans
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