An outdoor illuminated trail will take over Liverpool’s world famous waterfront from Tuesday 23rd March, exactly one year after lockdown began.
For 14 nights, work from leading UK and international artists will be displayed throughout the city for those local to Liverpool Waterfront to enjoy at their leisure. The River of Light Trail, which will run from March 23 to April 5, includes a range of stunning audio and visual installations across a 2km walking loop, where there will be Covid-safe measures in place.
Two of the eleven installations are by award-winning festival stage designers Lucid Creates, who created the works during lockdown. Lucid Creates is known for its large immersive stages at festivals such as Glastonbury and Parklife but began creating light art installations for public spaces during the pandemic as a way to continue to connect with audiences whilst events were restricted.
In the midst of the pandemic, Helen Swan (a graduate of the University of Liverpool who had her first
child in the city) and Chris Carr, the duo behind Lucid Creates, took to experimenting with light, sound and materials in their workshop to create public artworks that could combat the loneliness and negativity towards the future caused by the pandemic, and bring people together in a positive way.
The idea for FUTURES came to Swan when she read an article that featured leading scientists and thinkers describing the future we would have if the ‘right’, ‘ethical’ decisions are made about society and the environment today. FUTURES offers visitors the opportunity to imagine a positive future by immersing themselves in a transformative space.
Speaking about the project, Swan said,
“In the midst of lockdown, I felt so worried about how negative my thoughts and the messaging in the media had become. We can’t make positive change when we are incapacitated by worry. This work offers a space in which people can come together, and feel positive about their future. Positive mindsets encourage positive action! It is a reminder that if we unite in positivity, we can create a great future for individuals, society and the planet.”
The artworks will be available for viewing from sunset to 10.30pm each evening. Details of all the works
can be found here.