Corn Exchange Newbury's Festival of Light Returns

The Corn Exchange Newbury is set to light up the streets of the town once more, as their annual Festival of Light returns for another year to unite local people in an illuminated procession. From terrific lantern making workshops, to opportunities to lead this phenomenal parade as part of their community Samba Band, everyone is welcome to come together to celebrate the festive season.  

The Festival of Light has seen over 30,000 people engage in the festival over the past twelve years, with 9,600 people having participated in the parade during that time. The parade will travel along Northbrook Street before arriving in the Market Place where locals can expect catchy live music. In preparation of this the Corn Exchange have been running Lantern Making Workshops (30th November – 8th December), at 101 Outdoor Arts to create traditional pyramid lanterns out of sustainable materials, to use as part of the procession. The Corn Exchange Newbury have also run 6 Lantern Making Workshops in local schools, ensuring that an additional 271 local young people can get involved and ignite their creativity for this festive celebration. 

There will be a community Samba Band leading the procession through Northbrook Street. Workshops for people to take part in this band are taking place at 101 Outdoor Arts in the lead up to the event. These workshops are led by Reading based Music Charity Readipop featuring experienced drummers from Beatroots Bateria who will guide participants through the process of learning the samba instruments, rehearsing the patterns and routines and forming a marching drumming troupe to perform at the magical winter parade. 

Based on a former US nuclear airbase outside Newbury, 101 Outdoor Arts has grown to be a unique powerhouse for creativity, supporting the creation of hundreds of performances and installations destined to be showcased at festivals, major arts events and cultural programmes both across the UK and internationally. Whilst the Corn Exchange Newbury have been presenting outdoor events in Newbury for over 12 years, this year marks ten years since they opened the 101 National Centre for Arts in Public Space. With the support of Arts Council England and Greenham Trust, they host hundreds of artists every year in the centre’s unique facility, which includes residential accommodation and scenic fabrication facilities, and where the lanterns and festival programme will be created ready for the procession on the 15th December. 

101 Outdoor Arts produces a year-round, free programme of national and international outdoor arts performances with the Corn Exchange Newbury, engaging thousands of audiences annually, and striving to involve thousands of local participants, volunteers and community groups across Newbury to widen the scope for creative engagement in the arts.   

Corn Exchange Newbury’s Director, Jessica Jhundoo-Evans comments, The Festival of Light is always a highlight of the year for us; bringing together local people and volunteers to create beautiful lanterns and bringing our community together in an illuminated procession. It is a joy to see families and friends gather to enjoy this magical event and to know that people love it enough to keep it fixed in their calendars.