Museum of the Moon has landed in Warrington with a host of other events

A galaxy far, far away is set to land in Warrington’s Cultural Quarter this weekend to welcome in a series of fantastic family events.

Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival plans to immerse Queens Gardens in a blaze of light and colour tomorrow night as this year’s space-themed Contemporary Arts Festival makes its striking debut.

Presenting the town’s very first Light Night, this unmissable launch event is set to introduce Warrington families to a collection of world-class art and performance displays, from giant, light-up musical instruments to engaging street performers.

Leah Biddle, Cultural Manager at Culture Warrington – the charity that runs Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival, Warrington Museum and Art Gallery, Pyramid and Parr Hall – said: “We’re so excited to be hosting Warrington’s very first Light Night outside Parr Hall. All the team have been working so hard to make this a truly memorable evening and we feel so privileged to be collaborating with such high-calibre acts.

“Our aim for this year’s Contemporary Arts Festival is to make it as accessible, inclusive and as family-friendly as possible and we’re confident that this exciting programme ticks every single box! I look forward to welcoming you all to our grand opening tomorrow evening!”

Illumaphonium heads to Warrington Light Night

What to expect

Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, 6 – 10pm, Parr Hall, FREE
Haven’t got your ticket yet? There will be a small allocation available on the night so come along and join the queue.

2Faced Dance Company presents Moon
5pm – Sensory Touch Tour (for visually impaired)
5.30pm – Performance of Moon

Squidsoup
One installation that is guaranteed to catch visitors’ eyes is Squidsoup’s magical Submergence – a fully immersive, fully accessible, walk-through experience featuring thousands of suspended lights. Presenting a number of different cycles, each emitting its own character or mood, this mesmerising piece invites visitors to interpret it in their own unique way and to lose themselves in a blur of colour.

Illumaphonium
Another key piece is Illumaphonium, a multi-player, musical, illuminated sculpture. Consisting of more than 100 glowing chime bars, this remarkable installation is fully responsive to touch and presents ever-changing patterns of light and sound.

The Kazimier
Completing this extraordinary trilogy of light and sound installations is The Kazimier, a Liverpool-based company specialising in interdisciplinary multimedia shows.

Introducing the Sound House, The Kazimier promises to take visitors on a musical journey through a range of sonic landscapes that are synchronised to spellbinding laser beams and custom lighting to create a truly meditative effect.

Wandering among these three installations will be a group of street performers interacting with the crowds, from the captivating Astro Alien dance duo to actors from Ludovico Studio – led by Darren Jeffries, best known for his role as OB on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks.

Late opening at Warrington Museum and Art Gallery: (6-8PM) FREE
This is the public’s first chance to see this year’s open exhibition and place their vote in the public choice award. Last year’s winner Marie Jones solo show Let’s Get Stuck in Traffic! also opens to the public.