Festival to light up Glasgow city centre next month
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Radiance, Glasgow's biennial International Festival of Light, returns to the city between 23 - 25 November. Artworks in light will see buildings, courtyards, and even gable ends from High Street to Buchanan Street transformed by internationally acclaimed designers.
Highlights of the festival include Xavier de Richemont’s project at Glasgow Cathedral, where the entire Cathedral will become a modern-day mural. This will be the first time his work will be seen in the UK. Another piece to look out for is by UVA, whose interactive work has featured in videos for The Arctic Monkeys and Massive Attack’s stage shows, and which have been tremendously successful at lighting festivals across Europe.
Other amazing sights include temporary lighting schemes which allow the public to view forgotten or hidden parts of the city.
The festival takes in 50 locations along three routes - History, Light Art and Gardens of Delight - and will also feature a walking tour and film and music events.
The children of the city will also play a role in this year’s Radiance, where the winners of a city-wide competition between 200 schools will see their designs for a festive light display shown in Buchanan Street.
Deputy Lord Provost Allan Stewart said: “The Radiance festival transforms buildings in the city centre through the innovative use of lighting, giving a new perspective to the viewer. I am delighted by the quality of the artists at this year’s festival, and I am sure that the thousands of people who will come to see the Radiance events will enjoy a wonderful weekend.”
Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “Radiance is an exciting and colourful addition to the city’s winter events calendar. Glasgow is already a popular festive break destination thanks to its range of fabulous shopping and vibrant nightlife and Radiance, along with the rest of the city’s Winterfest programme, is certain to enhance the visitor experience.
Radiance07 is part of Winterfest Glasgow 2007, funded by the Cities Growth Fund. The festival partners are Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.
More information on Radiance07 is available by visiting the festival website at www.seeglasgow.com/radiance.
ENDS
For more information, contact:
Caroline Gray, PR Manager
Glasgow City Marketing Bureau
Phone: +44 (0) 141 566 0832
Email: caroline.gray@seeglasgow.com
Notes to Editors:
- Glasgow: City of Light was established by Glasgow City Council in 2001 to enhance the city and make it a more welcoming and attractive environment for citizens and visitors. Deputy Lord Provost Allan Stewart is the leader of the project, which has seen which has seen the permanent illumination of some 86 landmark buildings and structures since its inception.
- Glasgow's approach to this project involves the coordination of all aspects of lighting in the city, from the lighting of individual buildings and monuments to street lighting as well as programmes for festive lighting, winter lighting, local projects and lighting art. Together these individual elements are helping to create an exciting and innovative experience of the city at night, and showcase Glasgow as a world-class city.
- Radiance fits particularly well into Glasgow: City of Light as a key objective of the project is to develop lighting as an art form within the urban environment.
- Other organisations supporting this year’s festival are Blachere Illuminations Uk, Britannia Panopticon Music Hall Trust, City Building, Collective Architecture, Culture and Sport Glasgow, Historic Scotland, iGuzzini, Merchant City Townscape Heritage Initiative, Prospect magazine, Pulsar, Spiers Major, St Andrew’s in the Square, Strathclyde University, Street Level Photoworks, TSL and WKMcMillan steel fabricators.
- Selected images previewing exhibitions that will feature at Radiance07 are available on request.