Light up your winter with illuminated trails in Norfolk and Suffolk
Chris Levine at Houghton Hall, Houghton, Norfolk
(22 October – 23 December 2021)
Houghton Hall in Norfolk is set to be transformed by a major solo exhibition of contemporary British artist, Chris Levine, 528 Hz Love Frequency. Marking the inaugural winter show in the historic grounds of this prestigious art venue, this exhibition running between 22 October and 23 December 2021 will feature a series of new holographic artworks, print works and large immersive laser and LED installations. This is a body of new work created specifically for the unique environs of the house and grounds. Each distinctive work is characteristic of Levine’s unique and cutting-edge work with the meditative and immersive properties of light and sound.
Gaia at SPILL Festival, Ipswich, Suffolk
(27 – 31 October 2021)
Measuring seven metres in diameter, Gaia features 1200dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface. The artwork provides the opportunity to see our planet on this scale, floating in three-dimensions. The installation creates a sense of the Overview Effect, which was first described by author Frank White in 1987. Common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Chorus at SPILL Festival, Ipswich, Suffolk
(27 – 31 October 2021)
Chorus is a monumental and impressive installation of kinetic sound sculptures by artist Ray Lee. Towering above the audience, a series of giant metal tripods support rotating arms. At the end of each arm loudspeakers emit precisely tuned musical pitches creating a pulsating, harmonic drone, singing out a hypnotic siren call to all those present. Red lights at the end of the arms create the effect of a whirling swarm of fireflies, or of planets in motion, like mesmerising orbits of colour. These intersecting lights trace rings above the heads of the audience, while the combined chorus of the spinning speakers creates a cohesive harmonious whole, ‘a sticky flux’, that is both uplifting and transfixing.
Illuminated Garden Trail, Helmingham Hall, Suffolk
(17 November – 19 December 2021)
Make the most of the dark winter nights by stepping into a magical world of light, colour and sound, as you explore the grounds of Helmingham Hall adorned with thousands of lights transforming the gardens into an enchanted winter wonderland.
www.helmingham.com/events/illuminated-garden-trail
Enchanted Journey of Light, Thursford, Norfolk
(17 November – 13 December 2021)
Your journey will progress into the Santa’s Magical Journey Building (sadly Santa is STILL ICE-olating so will not be attending the event). You will travel past the penguins and polar bears to the giant-sized teddy bears! Get ready to see how the elves have loaded Santa’s sleigh, then past the busy elves hard at work in the toy factory using the wondrous wrapping machine! Throughout your journey you’ll meet lots of fantasy land characters including the snowman family, make sure you watch out for their snowballs!
www.thursford.com/enchanted-journey-of-light/
Sandringham Winter Light Trail, Sandringham, Norfolk
(12 November – 19 December 2021)
Nestled deep within Her Majesty’s private Estate, awaits a spectacular, illuminated trail, full of wonder and intrigue, to delight and enthral your senses. As darkness descends, join us on our enchanting journey, as we weave a captivating light trail through the Country Park at Sandringham, the much-loved rural retreat of Her Majesty. Immerse yourself in our mesmerising mile long trail, with stunning lighting elements and fabulous light play, all set to ambient music.
https://luminate.live/sandringham-estate
Spectacle of Light, Haughley Park, Stowmarket, Suffolk
(4 – 27 February 2022)
Discover the night-time wonder of Haughley Park and its gardens brought to life as you follow a beautiful new Spectacle of Light and Sound around the glorious gardens.
Explore this magical illuminated trail marvelling at the glorious gardens and majestic trees all lit under the stars. Enjoy the wonderful music as you discover each new secret of this romantic environment. Discover the amazing Carpet of Colour and the flickering Field of Fire. Walk through the Kaleidoscope, gaze at the Mirror balls, Moroccan lanterns and much, much more!
www.haughleypark.co.uk/public-events/spectacle
Love Light Norwich, Norfolk
(17 – 19 February 2022)
Love Light Norwich returns with stunning new installations, projections, and performances all designed to amaze and delight. This free light festival makes Norwich shine with three days of enchanting experiences, open to everybody. See much-loved landmarks transformed into vibrant artworks, enjoy fantastic performances from renowned artists, join in with the city centre procession, and become part of the festival with interactive installations. Themed around love and belonging, Love Light Norwich takes the dark February nights and conjures a beautiful experience for residents and visitors alike.
Installations Using Fire
SPILL Festival’s The Pyre Parade, Ipswich, Suffolk
(30 October 2021)
Head down to The Hold on Fore Street (the visitor centre for Suffolk Archives) in Ipswich and post your bad news from the last year into special boxes standing next to our Pyre Parade effigies. Then join us as we noisily make our way through the town to Christchurch Park. Everyone is welcome – simply turn up with something loud to bang, such as wooden spoons on saucepan lids, before we engulf the effigies in flames and send all our bad news up in smoke!
www.spillfestival.com/pyre-parade-2021
Fire on Water, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
(21 October – 6 November 2021)
Fire on Water is an immersive experience with dramatic outdoor arts, hypnotic water projections and shining installations, glowing embers leap and twirl in the night, warming the hearts of all who spectate. As the chosen location of the immense and mesmerising event, the Venetian Waterways will be transformed into a spectacular scene that will provide amazing cross-site visibility and offer plenty of car parking space, wheelchair accessibility and suitable space for visitors to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
https://outtherearts.org.uk/fire-on-the-water
Editors notes
Discover amazing arts, timeless heritage, and cultural wonders in Norfolk and Suffolk. From concerts to comedians, literature to landscapes, and palaces to puppeteers – whatever you’re into, Head East.
Head East is a celebration of arts, culture and heritage in the East of England, delivered around a series of ‘headline’ place-specific cultural initiatives. Led by the New Anglia Culture Board, the year-long targeted cultural tourism campaign aims to promote and build a national profile of the East as a ‘must see’ UK cultural destination. The original campaign was focused on 2020, but the pandemic triggered a strategic re-focus.
Head East is designed to amplify the profile of Norfolk and Suffolk’s outstanding cultural offer and to boost the gradual recovery, adaptation and re-stabilisation of the region’s visitor economy in the wake of the pandemic.
The campaign consortium includes New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Culture Board, Norfolk County Council, Interreg EXPERIENCE project, Suffolk County Council, City and District Councils, the Business Improvement Districts, Destination Management Organisations, University of East Anglia, Visit East of England and cultural partners. This Project has been supported by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, through the Innovative Projects Fund. It aims to contribute to the delivery of Restart, Phase 1 of the New Anglia LEP Economic Recovery Plan and Visitor Economy Recovery Plan.
Building on the nationally regarded work of New Anglia Culture Board (NACB), Head East is shaped by Culture Drives Growth, the East’s Cultural Strategy 2016-22 which sets our ambitious blueprint for culturally-driven, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the East.
More Norfolk Guides