‘Amazing’ music, displays and lightshows bring town centre alive
Drummers and lantern makers made their way through Blackburn last night to bring light and warmth to a cool town centre.
Weeks and months of preparation slipped by as the 2022 Festival of Light mesmerized city dwellers with activities throughout Saturday, a path with illuminated windows and a grand parade to top it all off.
For the second time after a virtual parade in 2020, several colorful creations in the December skyline were aired for the first time due to the pandemic.
A festival speaker later paid tribute to the crowds that had gathered on King William Street and along the parade route.
After the festival ended, the spokesperson said: “The Blackburn Festival of Light team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and supported us this evening. We hope you all had a great time.”
The imaginative fiesta is organized by the Bureau Center for the Arts in association with Blackburn City Council BID and is supported by funds from Arts Council England.
For the past few weekends, the workshops have been busy making lanterns and practicing performance pieces for the parade.
The Making Rooms were vital to operations on Saturday, with bird and badge crafting opportunities throughout the day today, with Blackburn Museum also hosting paper lantern sessions.
Lanterns were collected from the Stock Exchange in King William Street before the parade in Ainsworth Street, which followed a circular path along Church Street and around to the Town Hall Square.
Performers from the festival’s street band, first formed in 2018, were joined by stilt walkers and dancers, and dozens of lantern makers.
The plaza featured Bird Party projection pieces by artists Jack Lockhart and Kerris Casey St. Pierre, as well as contributions from the community.
A lighted window path visible from everywhere from the Making Rooms and the Drummers Arms to the Blackburn Library, Greenhouse Hobkirks, Age Concern, M&S and the bus station helped illuminate the path.
Works by featured artists Dale Cocker, Leonie Stephenson, Calum Heywood, Laura Van Tatenhove, Ian Halawi, Julia Swarbrick, Emma Clarke and Janine Walker were presented with important contributions from student creatives.
For the finale, the Traveling Light Circus and Flame Oz dazzled the crowd with pyrotechnics, while the LED and Fire Dancers added their own glow with routines cooked up in the Shad Hub.
Jazz bands and drummers brought Blackburn town center to life
