Lumiere - a spectacular multi-sensory celebration

For four nights only, 12th -15th November, UK and international artists will work with light to transform Durham's historic landmarks, city streets, gardens and riverways into a breathtaking nocturnal landscape of magical happenings.

Producers of extraordinary live events, Artichoke, renowned for the spectacular successes, La Machine, The Sultan's Elephant and Antony Gormley's Fourth Plinth commission, One & Other, announced their latest project - Lumiere - an ambitious and spectacular festival of light for Durham, produced in partnership with Sky Arts.

The historic streets of Durham will provide a stunning canvas for leading international and UK artists and performers to work with light, fusing together sight, sound and movement in a mesmerising series of site-specific installations, new commissions and performances.

In the tradition of the greatest international festivals of light, Lumiere will set Durham ablaze, picking out and transforming the landmarks, streets, river and bridges of the city in new and unimagined ways. Artists include the British-based collective United Visual Artists, international artists Ron Hasleden, Simon Corder and Daan Roosegaarde, projection artist Ross Ashton, eminent lighting designer Mark Major, London-based studio Creatmosphere, and French theatrical magicians Quidams, with a magical performance that will lead the audience through the city streets.

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. And with support from 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.