Derby Lantern Parade Brings a World of Flowers To Light Up City Streets
The annual Derby Lantern Parade, ahead of the city’s Christmas light switch on event on Saturday November 30, will bring a feast of light and colour to the city streets, say organisers.
The lantern parade is a key part of the Derby Season of Light (DSOL) festival, organised by city-based arts organisation Surtal Arts, which has included an array of cultural events, a cross-city lantern sculpture trail, music performances and creative workshops with their venue partners.
This year’s parade theme is ‘Nature-World of Flowers’ which reflects a key message behind DSOL of climate action.
Starting at 4pm from St Peter’s Cross, participants who have attended one of the various lantern making workshops will be joined by more than 350 pupils from local primary schools, Derby College and members of local community groups who will proudly parade through the streets with the floral lanterns that they have made.
Every lantern has been created with biodegradable materials including willow, bamboo, tissue paper, LED lights and chemical-free glue.
They will be joined in the multi-cultural parade by two illuminated stilt walkers wearing costumes inspired by the Elephant Hawk and Oleander Hawk moths to highlight the role of these insects as night-time pollinators.
Local artist Donna Fox, whose work featured in last year’s lantern parade, has also created giant silk painted costumes entitled ‘Healing Garden’ for the parade.
The lantern parade will also be joined by Bollywood Bhangra dancers from Surtal Arts and Derby College, Ukranian Hopak dancers from Hoverla dance ensemble, drummers from DHOL Frequency and Chinese dragon dancers with cymbals.
They will start from St Peter’s Cross and weave their way to Corn Market then Market Place before finally reaching its destination on Tennant Street in front of the Sir Peter Hilton Memorial Garden.
The parade then concludes with energetic dance and drumming performances which add colour and dynamism to the Christmas Lights switch-on organised by Derby LIVE, Derby City Council’s arts and entertainment arm.
Derby Season of Light aims to unite communities and cultures – embracing various festivals including Diwali, Rabi’ Al-Awwal, Hanukkah, Bonfire Night, Christmas, and the upcoming Chinese New Year which all share the common theme of light.
The festival is spearheaded by South Asian arts organisation, Surtal Arts, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and has been supported by Arts Council England, Derby City Council, Derby LIVE and National Lottery Community Fund.
Surtal Arts and its key partners have hosted a series of inspiring arts activities and events across Derby and Derbyshire shining a spotlight on the universal theme of ‘light’ and ‘climate change’.
Highlights of this year’s festival have included a giant lantern sculpture trail across the city entitled ‘World of Flowers’ which continues until New Year’s Eve; music concerts and a family-friendly storytelling performance; online international folk arts workshops; Diwali celebrations in Belper and family lantern-making workshops.
Surtal Arts’ chair Nisha Nath, who is a celebrated South Asian dance artist, explained that the annual family festival aimed to bring together local communities to shine a light on the diversity across the city and an issue that particularly engages with young people in the city.
“Derby Lantern Parade will be even more spectacular this year as we focus on the important theme of climate action.
“Everyone at the workshops has made stunning floral lanterns this year which will bring a feast of colour to the parade. The theme also reflects the incredible giant lantern trail ‘World of Flowers’ which is still in situ at venues across the city for people to enjoy.
“Everyone is welcome to come and join the lantern parade on the day but, for safety reasons no glass lanterns or real flamed lights are allowed.”
For more information about this year’s Derby Festival of Light and the Lantern Parade, please visit https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/derby-season-of-light