Phoenix52 presented Illuminate on Saturday 29 October 2011 at St George’s Park

Halloween met Diwali: the Hindu Festival of Lights met Dia de los Muertos: the Mexican Day of the Dead - illuminate celebrated an exciting mix of cultural festivals that mark the changing of the seasons, rebirth, renewal, life and death that take place in the Autumn.  Phoenix52 invited the local community to come along in fancy dress, take part in workshops, a carved pumpkin lantern competition a lantern parade and marvel at illuminated installations, projections, performances and see the community shrines.

Illuminate was a great success with an amazing turn out, a hugely popular lantern parade and lots of really high quality installations, projections and performances - we hope you had fun and enjoyed the spectacle! We've set up a Flickr group so that people can share their photos at http://www.flickr.com/groups/illuminate-2011/ You just need your own Flickr account to be able to post your own photos to this group, but anyone can go have a look!  We'll be producing a short video of the event and will post a link on this page in due course.  Please feel free to email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your feedback and comments.

Thanks

Phoenix52 - Sally Reay (Event Management, Community Shrines & Diwali Lanterns), Amy Peck (Etheral Projections & Fundraising) & Kerry Russell (Gateway and Floating Lanterns)

Plus all the other amazing artists:

Guy & Rachel from the A.P.E Project for the Caravan Cinema and Workshops

Kevin & Sylvie from Spoke 'n Chain for the Pedal Powered Installations

Lou Gray (with help from Scoob) for the Processional Heads & Lantern Workshop

Tim Floyd & Martin Maudsley Live Animation & Storytelling

Keef Chemistry for the Soundscapes and Audio

Bex Rose & Jem Marryat for the Tree Top Projections

Julie Roberts Lantern Making Workshops

Bristol Hindu Women's Group for the Rangoli Workshop & Gerba Dance

and Dan Newman, Mabel Atkin, Tania Dauptain and Bex Rose for the Feast of Fools

Thanks to Bristol City Council Arts & Festival Team (RIP) and St George Neighbourhood Paternship Funding

We are delighted to annouce that we have been awarded funding for Illuminate 2011!  Thanks to St George Neighbourhood Partnership and Bristol City Council's Festivals and Event Fund.

This means that we will be producing a second Illuminate Festival in St George's Park this October.  The festival aims to celebrate several light based cultural festivals that take place around the end of October and the beginning of November, including the Mexican Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), Diwali - the Hindu Festival of Light and Halloween/the Celtic Festival of Samhain.  The idea is to share and celebrate these cultural festivals, mark the change of seasons and develop a sense a community in a creative, exciting and family-friendly way.

The festival is built around site-specific installations, projections and performances and will kick off with a lantern parade.  We will be working with the local community on the build up to this year's festival to offer workshops and activities that engage the young and old in the celebrations.  Visitors will be encouraged to dress up and take part in the parade with their children.  There will also be seasonal games, including a pumpkin lantern carving competition and the pinata (Mexican game), as well as live music, projections.........

We are looking to involve local residents so if you live in and around Easton, Redfield, St George or Barton Hill and you'd lile to take part in creative workshops, come to the festival or could volunteer for a few hours one Saturday evening in October 2011 to help steward the event please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.  We will be updating this website closer to the event so come back soon!

Illuminate Phoenix52 in St George's Park on 30 Saturday October 2010 was a huge success.   Illuminate, combined several seasonal religious and cultural festivals that happen around this time of year, including Halloween, which has roots in the Celtic Festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of  All Saints/All SoulsDiwali, the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival and Diwali, the Hindu/Sikh Festival of Light.

The free Mask, Lantern & Shrine Making Workshops that took place in nearby St Ambrose Church were really popular and the results went on display as part of the Lantern Parade that left the chuch at 6pm and ended up at the Bandstand in St George's Park, where the main event took place.

Over 600 people, young and old attended an exciting evening of art installations, performances, festive games and live music courtesy of the Ambling Band.  There was also a pumpkin lantern carving competiton which was won by Amelia & Tallulah Simpson and Johnny Gray.  We will be publishing photos and film footage from the event in due course so please come back again soon or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll send you a link to the footage and photos in due course.

This project is funded by Bristol City Council and sponsored by Flingers Party Shop - www.flingerspartyshop.co.uk

Don't forget if you are an artists, maker or performer or if you are a local resident interested the arts then feel free to come along to our monthly meetings, which are held at 6.30pm on the first Wednesday of the month in the Art Room at the Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Beam Street, Barton Hill, BS5 9QY.  We are free, inclusive group and are always keen to welcome new members.  For more information email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

This year’s Phoenix52 'Get Creative' Festival took place at Netham Park on Avonvale Road in Barton Hill on Sunday 11th July. The day started at 11.30am with a Celebratory Parade with Ilu Axe Samba Band and a procession with giant puppets leaving from the Crypt leading up to Netham Park.  The Get Creative Festival itself will kicked off at 12noon with free art activities for children of all ages including:

- Thomas Docherty storytelling and drawing (as seen on cbeebies!)
- 6ft Bicycle powered Spirogyraph
- Giant Fuzzy Felt & Soft Play Area
- Circus Skills - Hoops & Balls
- Make a Mythical Beast Face & Tail then build a creature for our Clay monster forest....
- Tell your story of Barton hill, make your mark on our map.
- Cake Stall & BBQ

Plus walkabout performers, face painting and much more.

Illuminate Festival - 30 October 2010