Free to the public and designed to be safely enjoyed with on-site staff, Lights On Stratford will light up this winter starting December 16th, 2022 through to January 27th, 2023, 5:00pm-10:00pm nightly.
Launched in 2020 during the pandemic, the award-winning Lights On Stratford annual winter festival will once again transform Stratford’s heritage downtown core and park system with luminous art and interactive light installations.
The Lights On Stratford 2022/23 theme is REKINDLE – “relight (a fire) or revive (something that has been lost).” As we emerge from another year of having to stay home, missing our friends, family and favourite places; the importance of rekindling a sense of joy, wonder and community has never been greater.
Market Square will be brought to life with internationally renowned artist Jen Lewin’s THE POOL – a giant field of concentric circles that swirl with light when activated by touch. Inspired by Australian tidal pools, Lewin developed mesh-network technology and code to bring this experience around the world. Visitors can activate any of the 100 large circular pads that respond to walking, dancing, jumping, or playing — encouraging participation in an ever-changing composition.
Tom Patterson Island will be aglow with the Canadian Premiere of AFFINITY – an interactive light sculpture that depicts the dazzling complexity and connectivity of the human brain and our relationship with our memories.
Simone Chua, the director of Australian-based company Amigo & Amigo, launched Affinity several years ago and has since toured it internationally. “We are very excited to debut the artwork Affinity in Canada at Lights On Stratford. This is a multisensory interactive artwork that raises awareness about Alzheimer’s, we hope that people not only enjoy interacting with the work but also engage with this important social issue. Affinity is inspired by the human brain and the network of our memories, when people touch the bottom globes [neurons] the lights will illuminate around their hand sending colourful light throughout the network. The more people that interact with Affinity the brighter and more colourful it becomes.”
The artwork is 11 feet tall and over 45 feet in diameter, and contains an astounding 4,200 meters of RGB LED striplights, 19 Arduino Boards, 114 Input sensors with 48 connecting arms to 79 PE Spheres, 100 hours of programming and 80 different colour combinations.
The Festival will also feature new Made-in-Stratford light displays along the Light Trail connecting Market Square to Tom Patterson Island. As in previous years, storefronts and locations throughout the City will be lit up with unique light displays and experiences.
Stratford is home to some of the world’s best artists, lighting designers, props builders and creative minds. Lights On Stratford harnesses this precious resource of local talent, crafting a truly unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else.
Come see Stratford in a different light!
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