Some will say that the Illuminations are the greatest free light show in world. I would go one stage further to add that they are the most diverse illuminated sculptures on the planet. Often mocked just as much as they are loved, this six mile stretch of shimmering lights is just as iconic to Blackpool as our beloved Tower. And with a rich history embedded in design it has been nice in recent years for ‘The Lights’ to move into other realms of art.
Love him or loath him there is no denying that having Laurence Llewelyn Bowen involved in a creative director role has seen a much needed fine and contemporary art element influence the displays. LLB teamed up with artist Sarah Myerscough to introduce Blackpool’s showgirls in ‘Decodance’. Following this we saw joint projects such as Venus Reborn and Theatre D’Amour which combined moving tableaux, storyboard, music and water fountains to bring each feature to life. This led to the Illuminations dabbling in displaying street art murals, which really took off years later when the department teamed up with the creator of Blackpool’s Street Art Festival (Sand, Sea & Spray), Robin Ross. Robin was able to use his contacts from the festival to bring local talents such as Catch 22 , Lowdown, and Infected By Design to the table. The street artists whose work can be usually seen down at Baseline (Houndshill Centre, at the back of Marks & Spencers) could now be seen in the big lights. The end result being a fantastic stretch of promenade hanging, illuminated street art.
In recent years we have also seen the Illuminations department take another step in bringing a more artistic element to the lights. With a great piece of ingenious public engagement form the team in 2007, they ran a public competition to design a new piece for the Illuminations. The winner came from Leeds designer, and Illuminations fan, Andy McKeown who had the idea of a Warhol-esque, 15 minutes of fame, 1960s Pop Art style montage of people’s portraits. The wining piece, entitled Local Heads, engaged over 600 faces with local connections, to become part of a captivating new installation.
The collaboration with commissioned designers and artists didn’t stop there. In 2012, Burnley born artist Joanne Berry was commissioned by Blackpool Councils Art Department, in partnership with Arts Council England, to recreate the iconic Fluted Pylons. Assisted by community groups in Claremont and the Illuminations department, Berry was able to bring these beautiful lighting displays from an era of dapper dress and Art Deco back to life.
And just this year Joanne is back to create the very mind bending piece entitled Brain Container which challenges the public to step out of their cars and enjoy the Illuminations face to face.
This is where credit has to go to the forward thinking folks from the Illuminations department as not only does it move forward its continued partnership with artists, but it strives for more public engagement, whilst putting the community at the heart of the light.
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