A Light Night at the Museum
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will be open late for Light Night as part of the UK’s biggest free ArtsFest. Open until 11pm on Friday 12th September, there will be live artistic entertainments, a bar and the chance to visit the Museum shop.
The Light Night event, which will launch this year’s ArtsFest, will see the city’s iconic buildings be artistically illuminated, as well as light installations, street performers and light trails. A night carnival will wind its way from the Pavilions to Centenary Square via Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Light Night is based on a concept that was premiered in Paris in 2002 – Nuit Blanche – which was itself based on the Long Night of Museums, first held in Berlin in 1997.
Throughout the evening there will be a number of special performances taking place in the Museum and Art Gallery including; performance art by Molly Wright whose work challenges the relationship between contemporary and musical theatre genres; ‘extremely short surreal plays’ by Comfortism…; poetry by Munayem Mayerin and a performance by Heather Wastie of ‘Soundbeam’ - an ultrasonic ‘instrument’ which converts movement into music. The evening will end with a performance by local acapella singers Kiss the Ceiling who will be then proceed into Chamberlain Square.
Visitors to the Museum and Art Gallery will be able to enjoy drinks in the elegant surroundings of the Victorian Museum Restaurant, with its ornate ceiling and beautiful artworks on display. It was opened as part of the original museum in 1885, by the then Prince of Wales who later became Edward VII. Visitors will also be able to enjoy a late night visit to the museum shop to pick up exclusive gifts, cards, books, catalogues and merchandise.
Other Light Night events taking place in Birmingham on Friday 12 September include; light installations and projections on the Council House and Alpha Tower displaying works of art from the city’s collections; street performers and light trails which will bring together a night carnival that will wind its way through the city’s streets and Ex Cathedra performing in front of the illuminated Burne-Jones stained glass window in Birmingham Cathedral.
Cllr Ray Hassall, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport & Culture said, “Light Night will provide a spectacular opening to this year’s ArtsFest and the entertainment in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will act as a taster for the fantastic weekend of events that local people and visitors will be able to enjoy”.
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