Review: Illuminating York lights up the city once more
After a disappointing 2012, Illuminating York is on a mission to dazzle us again. Running until Saturday 2nd November from 6pm to 10pm, YorkMix went along to see the bright lights in our small city
Starting off in St Helen’s Square, the omens were not good. On the stroke of six, precisely nothing happened.
St Helen’s Church had “no input signal” written up its facade. Static and feedback punctuated our wait. Then it started to rain.
After a 15 minute wait we headed to the Treasurer’s House, our expectations dented.
An eerie glow and strange sounds emanated from the entrance. Inside, odd figures moved in a trance-like manner. The effect was calming, yet spooky. Walking around the edge of the garden we felt we were being watched.
The evening was already brighter. Spirits lifted, we headed to Leeman Road.
More down-to-earth were the creatively-lit giant metal mammoths of the National Railway Museum. Basking in cold steel colours with fire raging from within, the locomotives took on a whole new persona.
Moving on to the Museum Gardens, we encountered The Storyteller. A great tale of Eric Bloodaxe projected onto the facade of the Yorkshire Museum.
Using a mixture of film, animation and slightly Horrible Histories story telling, this was a real centre-piece. It took key technical elements from the amazing Illuminating York 2011 show on the Castle Museum to tell a great tale.
To finish, we descended on Clifford’s Tower. Similar in presentational style to the Museum Gardens display, fantastic graphics and sounds displayed this famous landmark as you have never seen it.
Illuminating York has returned to form. If you get the chance, go and experience it.
- See also our Complete guide to Illuminating York
