News
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Lantern making workshop at MINI Plant Oxford helps city prepare for spectacular Christmas celebration
A special lantern making workshop has been held at MINI Plant Oxford for members of the public wanting to take part in this years Christmas Light Night celebrations.
The day long workshop, which was held in MINI Plant Oxford’s T-Building on Saturday, saw participants create one of the twelve large lanterns that will be carried in the children’s lantern procession on Friday 2 December.
Associates of the Plant worked alongside local artists in order to create the piece – a giant sculpture of Five Gold Rings, to tie in with the processions’ theme The Twelve Days of Christmas. A workshop was also held for families with younger children to make several smaller lanterns for the procession.
Amelia Cross, aged 5, who attended the lantern-making workshop at the MINI Plant, said: “I enjoyed all of the workshop. I especially liked making the stars and the snowflakes to decorate the lanterns with!”
The partnership with MINI Plant Oxford has enabled a number of local school and community lantern making workshops to take place throughout November. With the additional involvement of the Ark-T Centre and Cool-n-Groovy Arts, who led the artistic project, over 300 children will now be given the chance to play a creative role in one of Oxford’s largest community events.
Emily Cooling and Groovy Su, founders of Cool-n-Groovy Arts, are the designers and concept creators for this year’s procession. Working from their Cowley based studio at the Ark-T Centre, the duo have developed the lantern designs based on the popular carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, including a series of four bird lanterns specially commissioned by Oxford Castle.
In total, 16 local primary and secondary schools – including St Joseph’s, Wheatley Park, St Swithun’s, Pegasus Primary, East Oxford and Oxford Spires – will take part in workshops across the city. There have also been two public workshops held in order to widen community participation in the event, as well as involvement by individuals from the newly opened Crisis Skylight Centre at the Old Fire Station.
Associates of MINI Plant Oxford have attended many of the lantern making workshops that have taken place, and will be on hand during the evening itself – helping to ensure that the procession is a success for everyone involved.
Kathelene Weiss, Director of Oxford Inspires, said: “We are delighted that MINI Plant Oxford is supporting the procession again. Not only does their involvement help to ensure the participation of young people in the celebration, but it also demonstrates the Plant’s commitment to supporting arts and culture within the local community.”
Christmas Light Night has become a regular fixture in the Oxford Christmas calendar and is an evening of processions, lights, dance, art, live music and street performance, all thrown together with a generous helping of festive cheer.
The event, which is one of Oxford’s largest community celebrations, also features late night openings of some of the city’s best loved cultural venues, offering local arts and cultural organisations, as well as community and voluntary groups, the chance to be involved.
On the night, over 500 children and community members will take part in the spectacular city centre procession, which will start at the Old Fire Station in Gloucester Green at 6pm before winding its way through Queen Street, Cornmarket Street and St Giles.
Christmas Light Night is being co-ordinated by Oxford Inspires, Oxford City Council and Ian Nolan Events Ltd on behalf of communities and cultural organisations across the city.
