Entertainment

Illuminating Derry's past

Derry's past, present and future is told in striking light, sound and imagery in the Walled City's Illuminate Festival, writes Andrew Balfour

The Illuminate festival returns to Derry from tomorrow until Sunday, with an immersive display of music, light, drama and art telling the city's history in a thrilling new way - including its Viking past...
The Illuminate festival returns to Derry from tomorrow until Sunday, with an immersive display of music, light, drama and art telling the city's history in a thrilling new way - including its Viking past... The Illuminate festival returns to Derry from tomorrow until Sunday, with an immersive display of music, light, drama and art telling the city's history in a thrilling new way - including its Viking past...

DERRY has a long and proud history - and the Illuminate festival showcases it like never before.

The show ran for the first time last week but runs again from tomorrow until Sunday, with the dark nights and crisp winter weather providing a perfect backdrop to the exhibition's mix of live street performances, music, narration, and grand-scale digital projection.

Visit Derry have worked alongside the Derry-based production company Visual Spectrum Studio to transform historical structures, including the City Gates and St Columb's Cathedral, into elaborate canvasses and outdoor sets for street performers.

All of this works in concert to show the city's journey from pre-Christian settlements along the Foyle River to a modern, vibrant city.

The exhibition starts at the iconic Guildhall. The building is unrecognisable as large cogs and flags from far-away countries envelop it, signifying the area's importance as a centre of international shipping and commerce since the 18th century.

The exhibit ends with a tribute to pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart making history in 1932 by crossing the Atlantic Ocean and landing in Ballyarnett, just outside the city.

Her 'Little Red Bus' aircraft is shown dancing and zooming over the hall, with an almost overwhelming roar of engines overwhelming your senses.

The trail perfectly blends street performances between exhibits, such as 'The Mystical Steampunk Stilt-walking Duo', who most definitely live up to their name.

The focus shifts on to the more recent history of the Troubles. Archive footage of the civil unrest and sectarian violence that plagued Derry for over two decades stunned the hundreds-strong crowd into silence.

But there is an admirable focus on positive change, as the narrative shifts to unity and forgiveness, the slow march towards peace in following years and recent efforts to bring justice for victims of oppression.

Derry's castle gates are used more subtly, with projection used to recreate the now open gates' imposing iron bars. This is coupled with a live actor performance in full, historically accurate costume, incorporating a full set of props and music to tell a short story set during the 17th century Siege of Derry; it's definitely one of the more serious moments of the show.

The city's famous walls feature in Illumintate, including being used to display ancient, pre-Christian weapons and iconography to give a taste of Derry life from as far back as the fifth century.

Several performers carry out some very precarious-looking juggling and gymnastics using fire. This draws cheers, laughter, 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd, and health and safety officials' hearts must have collectively skipped a beat when one young audience member suggested they "get the marshmallows out" and move closer to the fire.

St Columb's Cathedral serves as a backdrop to the retelling of John Newton's story. The reformed slave trader-turned-clergyman's life looms large on Europe's first Protestant cathedral.

Amazing Grace, arguably his most famous creation, blares over the speakers, while imagery of religion and redemption covers the building. It is hard not to get caught up in the spirituality of the whole affair.

Illuminate concludes at St Columb's Hall with a whistle-stop tour of Derry's history and future, again through sound and image. It shows a Derry that acknowledges its often turbulent past, but embraces its future as a welcoming, peaceful and cultural city.

::Illuminate next runs from tomorrow, February 24, until Sunday February 27. It is a free event and is wheelchair and pram accessible. Hotel accommodation starts from £45 per person sharing. More information at visitderry.com/illuminate and by telephoning Visit Derry on 028 7137 7577.