Brixton comes to light in spectacular fashion
The annual Brixton Festival of Lights yet again wowed all those in attendance as it showcased the talents of this community.
Residents were in for a spectacular treat when the annual Brixton Light Festival recently illuminated the richly historical suburb of Brixton.
Now in its third year, this unique event is quickly shaping up to be a highlight of the city’s cultural year.
This year, the theme of the festival was ‘Where the Waters Meet the Light’ and spoke to this community’s geographical position on the Witwatersrand watershed. Depending on which side of this watershed line rain falls, the water flows either towards the Indian Ocean or to the Atlantic on the other side. The theme has ignited the imaginations of community members and artists alike.
Resident, Mark Schaerer, and one of the festival organisers said, “This line has also been used to divide. It underlies the pervasive lines of segregation and ongoing inequality in our city. But for Brixton, this line gives us hope. The Light Festival offers our neighbourhood an opportunity to embrace our shared humanity by bringing exuberance and joy to our streets. It is our turning point.”
The programme for the day certainly reflected exuberance with more than 280 artists participating in the event. Visitors to the festival witnessed a brilliant parade with inspired performances including live music by the National Youth Orchestra, the Local Vocals, the North West University Brass Ensemble, the Windybrow Choir, the Field Band Foundation as well as street theatre by Well Worn Theatre Company, Kwasha, UJ Arts and Culture and many more.
The Sentech Croozers wowed the crowd with their amazing bike antics. There were other aspects to the night too such as giant puppets, LED skipping ropes and fantastical glow-in-the-dark visuals. Audiences were also treated to artworks by the recipients of the Waste Not Want Not project, curated by Shade, which included Muhammed Dawjee, Noluthando Lobese, Naledi Chai and Exotically Divine.
The parade itself was the celebratory culmination of a week of activities put together by festival organisers, residents and volunteers. During this time, local schools enjoyed visits to the Light Box exhibition as well as pop-up mural and mosaic projects created by the children and young people of Brixton. Weeks before the event saw Brixton streets explode with colour, curiosity and collaboration.
The Brixton Light Festival is a free, family-friendly event supported by the City of Joburg Department of Transport, DWR Distribution and The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and was made possible by scores of volunteers.
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