Electric Estate
Electric Estate was a two year winter light event hosted by National Trust as part of the Northumberland Lights series.
Description
I led on the partnership with the production team at Culture Creative
to host Northumberland Lights Electric Estate; a large scale outdoor lighting event series, in the grounds of Cragside, Northumberland.
The first event ‘Engineering Dreams’ was the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 200th birthday of the founder of Cragside, Lord William Armstrong. The event format was a self-led trail around a lakeside walk where visitors encountered sound and light installations. Our aim was to create a responsive, interactive lighting and sound environment which reflected on the imagination of William Armstrong as a boy, his lifelong devotion and prescience about harnessing natural energy and ultimately his success in creating a home powered by hydroelectricity.
The second event was called ‘The Electric Forest’ and focused on the dramatic landscape created by the Armstrong’s. It took place through the Pinetum and over the iconic Armstrong Bridge. The landscape became transformed and animated through light, sound, performance and art.
The events showcased the site at a different time of year, turning Cragside into a Winter destination for visitors across the North East. Each event was attended by more than 30,000 visitors and won a regional culture award in the category for Best Event Northumberland 2011.