Past Projects
Thursday, 03 March 2011
Winter Light Oxford 2008
Winter Light Night 2008 was an evening of spectacle, entertainment and surprises in Oxford’s city centre to kick off the Christmas season in style.
Eye-catching street theatre, music and dance celebrated the remarkable transformation of Bonn Square where Les Grooms (The Bellboys), an unexpected kind of brass band from France, performed a special musical fanfare. At 6.30pm, stilt walkers, The Wrong Size, led an illuminated procession from the Square along Queen Street and Cornmarket, featuring giant lanterns made by local schoolchildren. Arriving in Broad Street at 7pm, the extraordinary outdoor arts company Walk the Plank raised a giant mobile animated with flames and fireworks heralding the start of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
Oxford’s museums galleries, theatres and shops opened late into the evening offering a heart-warming menu of things to do, listen to and eat. Special events included artist’s light projections at Oxford Castle, the switch on of the Christmas Lights, live music and a special “WinterLight” cocktail at The Oxford Playhouse, as well as guided exhibition tours and children’s activities at Modern Art Oxford. It was also possible to explore one of the city’s museums after dark. The University of Oxford museums offered activities inspired by the night sky at the Museum of the History of Science, live music at The Ashmolean, family events at the Natural History Museum plus Victorian treats at the Museum of Oxford.
Kids Go Free! The Oxford Bus Company offered free travel after 6pm on 28 November to children aged 5–15 years old, up to 3 children per adult. Thank you to Oxford Bus Company.
WinterLight Oxford was produced by Oxford Inspires with Simon Chatterton, Oxford City Council and the West End Partnership. Walk the Plank was co-commissioned with Middlesbrough Borough Council. WinterLight is supported by Arts Council England, Awards for All, Berman Guedes Stretton, The Big Bang and First Great Western.
