LET THERE BE LIGHT Mon 19 & Tues 20 Jan

Lighting designer James Bawn, who lit up Emley Moor Mast last July as part of Hypervelocity, Kirklees Council’s cultural celebration for the Grand Depart, is lighting up Victoria Tower on Castle Hill on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th January 2015.

Let There Be Light, a partnership event between James, Bolster Moor events company TG Events and Kirklees Council, marks the start of UNESCO’s International Year of Light and Lighting Technologies. The Huddersfield event takes place on the same evenings as the international launch in Paris.

The three partners worked together on the Festival of Light in 2010 and 2014. James lit the buildings around St George’s Square in November to produce a stunning auditorium for performances by D J Yoda, Stems and Hade Edge Band. He used some small fixtures to create the effects. After the event, the UK distributor of the lights, Ambersphere Solutions, asked James to recommend somewhere that they could test some bigger versions of these fixtures which they are introducing to Britain. James recommended Castle Hill as he had lit it during Hypervelocity.

“I chose Castle Hill as it’s an iconic structure in my home town”, says James. “Due to the nature of the building and surrounding areas, it will give us a great indication about how bright these fixtures are and how well they can perform. We will program a few different effects and then take some photos.”

“Having worked with Kirklees Council on numerous projects in the past, I’m delighted to be able to collaborate with them once again to test the latest lighting technology on the market. Kirklees have always been a great client and have supported my creative concepts from the start, despite some being a little crazy! I’m very proud of Huddersfield and thrive on any opportunity to illuminate buildings which I grew up around.”

Cabinet member with portfolio for Communities and Leisure, Cllr Peter O’Neill, said “The lighting up of Victoria Tower always excites residents and visitors. We agreed to work in partnership with James as we are keen to support local creative talent. We are trying to ensure that Kirklees maintains its vibrant cultural scene in the future even though council resources for events will be much reduced and so we are keen to work in partnership with creative people and private businesses. Being part of an international initiative which is about the merging of science and creativity feels so right for Huddersfield, a town with a history of innovation.”

The light display is visible from 5pm to 11pm each evening. It is recommended that the best viewing positions are at a distance from Castle Hill and not near Victoria Tower itself.

For more information visit http://www2.kirklees.gov.uk/news/onlinenews/newsdesk/pressrelease.aspx?ID=6425