The Awakening: Fire & light spectacular to mark arrival of spring
A stunning new arts event called The Awakening is coming to the streets of Hull.
It includes a “mesmerising” installation recreating the experience of the Northern Lights over the Rose Bowl near Queen’s Gardens.
The Awakening, which takes place over two consecutive evenings in March, celebrates the movement from winter to spring and our emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also embraces Hull’s maritime heritage, folklore and mythology, and our relationship with the environment, organisers say.
The event is being delivered by Freedom Festival Arts Trust and Hull City Council, and is supported by the Welcome Back Fund, the England European Regional Development Fund, the Arts Council and the Global Streets network.
It promises a “magical and entertaining experience” in the Old Town and city centre on the nights of Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, from 6pm to 10pm.
The event will include:
Borealis, the Northern Lights installation;
A fire trail in Queen’s Gardens;
Halo, an interactive music-making installation in Zebedee’s Yard;
A chance to join Deblozay (‘chaos’ in Haitian Creole) in the city centre on a journey to an “unknown destination in the heart of the night”, alongside Hull’s Freedom Chorus.
Bespoke mask designers Wintercroft have created a mask for people to wear as they experience The Awakening.
These can be created in workshops taking place before and during the weekend, or made at home from downloaded digital packs.
The Ferens Arts Gallery will also remain open into the evenings.
Windows in Whitefriargate will be lit up with projections of artefacts from the Maritime Museum, and in Museum Gardens in High Street will host another display, Ship of the Gods.
Nearby on the staithes footage from Yorkshire Film Archives will be screened, accompanied by The Broken Orchestra-curated soundscapes from local musicians including Low Hummer, Wai Wan, Katie Spencer, and The Broken Orchestra themselves.
The Awakening is free and a full programme can be viewed here.
Mikey Martins, artistic director and CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Hull City Council on this new event, creating, producing and delivering The Awakening for the people of Hull.
“We can’t wait to welcome thousands of people back to the streets of the city centre to celebrate as we leave the pandemic behind and mark the movement from winter into spring .
“There are special moments around many corners, from Queen Victoria Square to High Street, so we encourage you, as we do with Freedom Festival, to join us, be curious and try something new.
“We’d like to thank Hull City Council and Hull’s Maritime project, who have contributed some fantastic elements to the programme, Welcome Back Funding, the Arts Council and the Global Streets network.
“Working in collaboration is at the heart of everything we do and we could not have brought this brand new event to life without these partners.”
City council leader, Councillor Daren Hale, said: “Hull City Council is delighted to be collaborating with the Freedom Festival Arts Trust to deliver The Awakening for the city.
“This is an exciting programme of outdoor installations, with light, fire and music to celebrate the change of seasons and our city’s fascinating maritime heritage, folklore and mythology.
“Following on from the success of The Kraken last summer, The Awakening is the next major event to shine a light on our ambitious Hull Maritime project.
“This will be a great event for everyone to visit the city centre and experience our spaces, museums and collections in a new light.”