Longford’s Connolly Barracks set to be transformed during amazing Lights Festival
An amazing Lights Festival is taking place in Longford’s Connolly Barracks on the weekend of February 24-26.
Following on from the success of last year’s arts event - The Light Brigade, Artistic Director, Tom Meskell in partnership with County Longford Arts Services is developing a new and ambitious Festival - Longford Lights.
Work on the project began with a community arts seminar in Backstage Theatre on Saturday, January 14, where participating groups and artists met to discuss the project.
The project has been funded under the Arts Council of Ireland’s Project Award Grant and by Longford County Council.
Longford Lights will be the biggest outdoor art illumination ever produced in Longford.
The project is situated in the former Connolly Barracks site in the Camlin quarter of Longford town.
Shane Crossan, Assistant Arts Officer Longford County Council, explained “This project seeks to deepen and broaden the scope of community based light / lantern art making within Longford communities and local artists so that the festival can grow in support each year. “
Tom Meskell, the Artistic Director brought together a team of artists from all over Ireland and England including the Liverpool Lantern Co, Macnas of Galway and Black Powder Monkeys to work with ten community and school groups in the Longford town area.
Caption: Attendance at the Longford Lights Festival community arts seminar in Backstage Theatre
A visual artist from Mayo, Tom Meskell has a very strong connection with Longford going back to 2016 when he staged his first large scale Lantern exhibition - Lights in the Darkness in Longford.
Following on from the success of that, he was again invited to create The Light Brigade by Longford Arts office as part of their Faoin Speir programme in 2022.
Caption: Artistic Director, Tom Meskell
Following the seminar, artists commenced working with their assigned community groups. This will involve developing a concept for an art piece in the former Barracks campus. Each group will collaborate with the artist to progress ideas and to help in the fabrication/ completion of the artwork or elements of the piece.
The separate artworks will form a large installation event to create an immersive experience for attendees using sound, light, space and pyrotechnics.
The Festival is free and open to the General public, for updates check @countylongfordartsservices on Facebook.
MAIN PHOTO CAPTION: At the Longford Lights Festival community arts seminar in Backstage Theatre were front row l to r; Phil Atkinson, Artistic Director Tom Meskell and Jo Pocock. Back: Michelle Dufaur, Artist Caroline Conway, Tommy Casby, Victoria McCormack, Shane Crossan (Assistant Arts Officer Longford County Council) and Fergus Kennedy (Arts Officer Longford County Council).