Just when you thought light festival season was coming to an end, London pulls another glowing rabbit out of its hat in the form of Enfield Winter Lights.
The free light festival takes place for five weeks across February and March, with a bevy of installations and workshops. The programme is still being finalised, with more due to be added to the website in coming weeks, but here are the installations already confirmed:
- Opening Ceremony: Artist Claire Luxton — who illuminated Marble Arch in October 2021 — kicks off the festival by lighting up an art deco building on Fore Street (close to Silver Street Overground station) with an artwork focusing on the vulnerability of the natural world. 3 February
- It's Nicer To Be Nice!: Artist Eve De Haan transforms a shipping container into a ‘Wonder Ground’, using neon light and pink hues in the immersive experience, which roams around three spots in the borough throughout the festival. Palmers Green, 4-10 February, Fore Street, 12-18 February and Enfield Town, 19-28 February
- Unity: Mark Beattie, the artist responsible for curating the whole festival, launches his own artwork, Unity, at a special event featuring performances from local poets and musicians on 5 February. The work, a glowing love knot which he originally made for his wedding, but which took on new significance when the pandemic hit, is then on display on Library Green in Enfield Town, 5-28 February
- Light The Way: Full details of this art trail are still under wraps, but we do know that Lauren Baker — best known for her positive messages written in neon — is creating an LED sculpture celebrating the history of the Suffragette movement in Palmers Green. Additionally, King Owusu is creating portraits of the local community in Angel Edmonton which will appear on billboards throughout the London Borough.
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In addition to ogling the glowing artworks, visitors can take part in various creative workshops at a subsidised cost, including neon life drawing and lampshade making. These events need to be booked in advance, so snap up tickets now if you fancy getting creative.
The organisers are also looking for volunteers to help out with running the festival, with the benefit of free tickets to some of the workshops. Find out more and apply here.
Enfield Winter Lights takes place 3 February-9 March 2022. Keep an eye on the website, Facebook and Instagram for updates. Battersea also has a light festival taking place throughout February. Sadly, Canary Wharf Winter Lights, which was due to run at the end of January, has been postponed this year.
