Young artists shine bright for River of Light

Some of the artists behind this year’s River of Light installations will be inspiring minds and illuminating creativity with special workshops this week.

A unique engagement programme has been developed by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team, which will give young people in-person creative sessions with five of this year’s River of Light artists.

The aim is to encourage the students to create their own artworks, and get them excited about River of Light at the same time.

In a huge coup, theatre production and set design students from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts will have a masterclass with Julio Himede – the man responsible for the Eurovison 2023 stage design – who is bringing United by Music, a 10-metre round performance space, to the event this year.

Julio and his Yellow Studio team will also work with two third-year students who will play a pivotal role in programming the installation’s lights which hundreds of thousands of people are expected to enjoy across the ten nights.

Other schools taking part in other workshops are:

Holy Family Catholic Primary will be working with artist Valerita Ramirez from Australia-based Amigo & Amigo.
All Saints Catholic Primary will be working with Ukrainian artist Tais Poda from RocknLight.
Archbishop Beck Catholic College will be working with Zara Pasfield and Renzo B Larriviere, artists from Australian company Atelier Sisu.
The Studio School is working with Harriet Lumby and Alan Hayes from UK-based This Is Loop.

Virtual School Liverpool which engages with children in care will also receive a special trail tour guided by the producing team from Culture Liverpool.

Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:

“It’s great to see so many of this year’s incredible artists engaging with young people across the city – sharing their experience, creativity and advice will build confidence in these students and empower them to express themselves through art.

“Working so closely with these creatives will not only generate a real buzz around the event, but the legacy of that interaction is invaluable and may inspire the next generation of artists – and you never know, we could see their work showcased at a future River of Light!”

Head Teacher of All Saints Catholic Primary School, Jeremy Barnes, said:

“It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Tais to All Saints. We have been working alongside a school in Kyiv over the past few months, sharing our love of music, so this visit will resonate so much with our pupils and provide great richness to our curriculum.”

Ukrainian artist Tais Poda, said:

‘I cannot wait to meet the students of All Saints Catholic Primary School. Through artistic workshops in October, I hope we’ll all connect deeply to the importance of community building through art.

“Art enriches our worldview, helps us understand people of different cultures and fosters creative thinking. During the workshop, we will study Ukrainian artworks, create our own pieces, and exchange our lived experiences. All these things are important for the development of creative young minds. The workshops are sure to be a highlight of my visit to Liverpool.”

To find out everything you need to know about River of Light including full details of all 12 pieces, the artists and their locations, head to the official River of Light website.