Festivals of Light
This year Vik has worked on two separate Festival of Light lantern parades. Firstly with the Cullompton Christmas Festival and Lantern Parade held on the 24th November 2018. Secondly with Squircle Arts during the Christmas by the Sea Festival of Light held in Paignton, Devon on 8th December 2018.
During Cullompton Christmas Festival, Vik worked with local groups and families to create giant lanterns as part of the evening lantern parade. Despite the rain the festival was a great success and bought lots of visitors and shoppers into the high street. As it got dark and the festive market stalls were flooded with visitors Vik and the team paraded the giant lanterns behind the Crooked Tempo Samba Band.
The atmosphere was electric and it was wonderful to see everyone dancing in the street to the samba rhythms
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The second lantern project of the winter was part of Squircle Arts Christmas by the Sea festival.
This Arts council funded project worked with a range of arts organisations and local groups to bring the town of Paignton together to experience performing and visual arts workshops, crafts, performance and theatrical spectacle. Vik was commissioned to create the lead lantern of a giant seahorse which swam over ‘waves of blue fabric and fairy lights.
The festival saw large numbers attend the event that paraded to the palace theatre gardens for a children’s music performance, samba band and singer songwriters.
The Christmas by the Sea event proved a great success, Vik created a spectacle for the parade which worked with the town centre logistics and made the lantern appear larger by adding extra trailing elements that could join in with the dancing. It was wonderful to work alongside Squircle Arts and Doorstep Arts and see all the festive community spirit really take shape.