by WGO staff
Adaptability and creativity have allowed Cape Breton’s annual Lumière Arts Festival to move forward this year with a new and exciting hybrid model. The festival, which began on Saturday, September 12, will run until Sunday, September 26, offering a mix of in-person and virtual installations and events.
Lumière presents projects from artistic disciplines including, but not limited to, visual arts, theatre and performance, music and sound, film and video, fine craft, and dance. The Festival provides a platform for collaboration and dialogue between artists and audiences, connecting the local population with diverse forms of cultural expression and creating a unique cultural experience. The Festival is dedicated to bringing art to the public in an accessible, interactive, and engaging fashion that underlines the importance of public participation and cultural democracy.
In 2019, Lumière presented the curatorial theme: Transitions. Inspired by reflection, Transitions invited artists and the community to reflect upon the changes that have shaped Cape Breton and those that are leading us into the future. This year, the Lumière Arts Festival is building on those concepts, with the new curatorial theme: Possible Futures.
As we collectively try to find our way through this time of uncertainty, Possible Futures asks the question: what are the futures that lie ahead of us?
Greg Davies, Chair of the Lumière Arts Festival Association, says that in all of the projects there is an underlying optimism.
“In the end, we may be filled with uncertainty about the future, but we know that the road ahead is one we face together,” says Davies. This same optimism has inspired the planning of the festival itself, and organizers hope community members will take part in both in-person and virtual events.
Although the signature art-at-night event will be sincerely missed, there is no shortage of wonderful experiences to take in throughout the festival. For a full list of events, visit lumierecb.com or check out the Lumière Arts Festival’s virtual guidebook.
The Lumière Arts Festival recognizes the support of the Province of Nova Scotia. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians.
