Full programme announced for Lumiere

Durham Cathedral transformed into a stunning canvas for the Lindisfarne Gospels; the banks, bridges and weirs along a 1km stretch of the River Wear illuminated; huge light sculptures based on drawings made by prisoners; and torch-lit, fire-eating processions through the mediaeval streets of the city…These are just some of the delights visitors to this month's Lumiere Festival have to look forward to.

Producers of extraordinary live events Artichoke, in partnership with Sky Arts have revealed the full line-up of performances and installations. In the tradition of the greatest European festivals of light, and on a scale never seen before, Durham will be set ablaze. The festival boasts no less than seven new commissions, and more than 50 leading British and international artists and performers. For information on individual artworks, visit www.lumieredurham.co.uk

Sky Arts have commissioned Philips to create Lumalive shirts for stewards on the ground, who will become
artworks in their own right. Incorporating cutting-edge Lumalive technology, the shirts are embedded with light,
animating images and glowing on the bodies of the wearer.

The channel will also create a series of short films following ten of the Lumiere artists, exploring the inspiration behind their installations and the technical challenges involved, as well as a 30-minute documentary of the whole event to air in December.

Lumiere is part of the 2009 Sky Arts Artichoke Season and forms part of North East England’s world-class
programme of festivals and events, developed by culture10. Supported by Durham County Council, Lumiere is also a measure of Durham’s scale of commitment to developing the city’s cultural offering for its communities and visitors, underlined by the recent announcement of its intention to bid to be the first UK City of Culture in 2013.
 

Lumiere will air on Sky Arts 2 HD and Sky Arts 2 on Sunday 13th December, 9.30am.