Derby Season of Light Festival Returns To Shine Spotlight on Dazzling Creativity and Cultures
Derby Season of Light (DSOL) 2024 returns between October and December and is the annual celebration of our city and county’s dazzling creativity and cultures involving thousands of local people in a packed programme.
DSOL aims to unite communities and cultures - embracing various festivals including Diwali, Rabi’ Al-Awwal, Hanukkah, Bonfire Night, Christmas, and the upcoming Chinese New Year which all share the common theme of light.
The festival is spearheaded by South Asian arts organisation, Surtal Arts, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
In the coming weeks, Surtal Arts and its key partners will host a series of inspiring arts activities and events across Derby and Derbyshire shining a spotlight on the universal theme of ‘light’ and ‘climate change’.
Highlights of this year’s festival includes a giant lantern sculpture trail across the city; two music concerts and a family-friendly storytelling performance; online international folk arts workshops; Diwali celebrations in Belper; as well as family lantern-making workshops ahead of the spectacular Derby Lantern Parade through the city.
Surtal Arts’ chair and celebrated South Asian dancer, Nisha Nath, explained: “Derby Season of Light is Surtal Art’s flagship annual festival and is particularly special this year as we celebrate the organisation’s 30th anniversary.
“Our aim every year is to shine a light on the vibrant tapestry of our city and county’s culture through art, music and festivities which weave together the threads of our communities and celebrate the rich traditions that make us who we are.
“The highlight is the Derby Lantern Parade which heralds the city’s Christmas lights switch on but we are also particularly excited about the lantern sculpture trail which will encourage people to explore the city centre and Normanton – connecting Derby’s diverse communities and places.”
2024 Events Programme
For more information about all of the events and to book tickets, please visit https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/our-events
Diwali in Belper
Surtal Arts, No28 Belper and Fleet Arts will bring Diwali to Belper to give local people a taste of the festival of light in the spirit of joy, peace and friendship.
- Diwali Arts & Crafts
Saturday October 19th 2024, 1pm to 3pm, No 28, 28 Market Place, Belper, DE56 1FZ.
Make your own Diwali lanterns using biodegradable materials. Suitable for families with children aged five and over. £5 admission for over 16-year-olds.
- Bollywood to Belper
Saturday October 26th 2024, 7pm to 9pm, No 28, 28 Market Place, Belper, DE56 1FZ.
Enjoy a colourful evening of Bollywood dance, music, food and fashion. Activities include Sari Draping, Henna painting and hand-crafted gift stalls. Tickets cost £12 and £10 concessions.
Derby Lantern Sculpture Trail – World of Flowers
Thursday October 26th – Tuesday December 31st 2024
Commissioned by Surtal Arts, eight emerging artists from across Derby and Derbyshire will create 11 stunning giant lantern sculptures in a trail through the city. Inspired by the theme of climate action, the ‘World of Flowers’ will see 1-3 metre high LED-lit lanterns, made from eco-friendly or recycled materials installed at 12 different locations around Derby city centre and Normanton.
Locations are: Quad, Artcore, Thrivemind Village, St.Peter's Church, Electric Daisy, Derby College (opens from November), Derby Train Station, Heart of the Park Arboretum, Jamia Mosque, Hindu Temple and Guru Arjundev Gurdwara.
The trail is free and visit https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/event-details/derby-lantern-sculpture-trail for more details about venue locations and any opening time restrictions.
Half-term Lantern Making Workshops
Various dates between Saturday October 26 and Saturday November 2
Families are invited to craft their own eco-friendly lantern using biodegradable materials such as willow and tissue paper which are perfect for energy-efficient LED lights (not included with the ticket) and come complete with bamboo sticks for a touch of elegance. Tickets cost £5 each and everyone is also also invited to proudly carry their masterpiece at the Derby Lantern Parade on Saturday November 30th.
Choogh-Choogh
Tuesday October 29th 2024, 11am and 12.30pm; Museum of Making, Silk Mill Lane, Derby DE1 3AF
This family-friendly interactive performance is inspired by the joy of travelling through India on a train. The performance combines classical Indian dance with contemporary movement, theatre, songs and is followed by a ‘stay and play’ session to give children a first-hand glimpse of India.
The work is a Beeja presentation and is conceptualised by Anusha Subramanyam and Vipul Sangoi. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £6 for children.
Yaadein – Remembrance Sunday
Sunday November 10th, 11am: Council House, Corporation Street, Derby DE1 2FS, free event.
Surtal Community Choir will perform for the first time at the city, annual Remembrance Sunday service in the Market Place to shine a line on the £2.8 million South Asian soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives in both World Wars – fighting for the British Empire. The choir will sing iconic patriotic songs in South Asian languages. The powerful melodies and thoughtful lyrics are dedicated to our forefathers and look to make the city’s Remembrance Sunday an inclusive moment that brings people together.
Online Creative Folk Art Workshops
One of Surtal Arts’ key goals is to keep traditional South Asian artforms alive for future generations and these online workshops cost £4 to join.
- Madhubani Folk Art Workshop: Sunday November 17th 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Jyoti Karn is one of India’s most experience artists specialising in this art form and will teach participants to pain unique Madhubani forms of people, nature and symbols. Suitable for aged 7+ (adult supervision recommended) and materials required.
- Islamic Geometric Art Workshop: Sunday 24th November, 10.30am to 12.30pm
Join visual artist and calligrapher Safira Ali for an introduction to Islamic geometry and the chance to learn how to draw a historical pattern from Islamic traditions including an eight-fold pattern from the Taj Mahal.
- Alpona Art Workshop: Sunday December 8th 2024, 10am to 11.30am
Alpona is a Bengali folk art style, traditionally practised by women, and consisting of creating finger-painted coloured motifs, patterns and symbols.
Derby Lantern Parade
Saturday November 30th 2024, 4pm to 5pm
The climax of Derby Season of Light will again be the Derby Lantern Parade in partnership with Derby City Council and Derby LIVE on Saturday November 30th.
Starting at 4pm from St Peter’s Cross, participants at the lantern making workshops will be joined by more than 350 pupils at local primary schools, Derby College and members from various community groups who will proudly parade with the sustainable lanterns that they have made.
They will be joined in the multi-cultural parade by stilt walkers, Bollywood dancers and the mighty sounds of Dhol Frequency drummers who will weave their way to Iron Gate and onto Cathedral Green.
The parade then concludes with energetic dance and drumming performances which add colour and dynamism to the Christmas Lights switch-on.
Together
Saturday December 7th 2024, 7pm: St Peter’s Church, 10 St Peter's Churchyard, Derby DE1 1NN
The final event in Derby Season of Light 2024 will be a music concert entitled ‘Together’ which will feature Rekesh Chauhan BEM who is an award-winning British Asian pianist and composer and will make his debut in the city at this concert.
‘Together’ will blend Indian classical ragas with western instrumental melodies – creating new sounds that celebrate humanity and peace. Tickets cost £15 and £12 concessions.
More News From Amber Valley Info
| County Set To Use Additional £3M For More Road Resurfacing Derbyshire County Council is set to receive £3.014m to spend on road maintenance. read more | |
| East Midlands Orchestra Announces Dementia Friendly Performances Derby-based Sinfonia Viva, the Orchestra of the East Midlands, has launched a series of five dementia-friendly class read more | |
| Derbyshire bowling club ramps up accessibility after council A Derbyshire bowling club is celebrating after making the sport more accessible to the community following improvements read more | |
| Dignitaries choose Heanor Happening to celebrate official opening of transformation project The Mayor of Amber Valley Borough Council and the Mayor of Heanor, will officially open H read more | |
| Turf-cutting event marks start on site for new Belper health centre A turf-cutting ceremony has celebrated the start of work getting under way on Belper’s new £15m health centre. read more | |
The Amber Valley Info Noticeboard
| Cold Callers claiming to be working on behalf of Derbyshire County Council Policehave seen and increase in reports of 'cold callers' where people are claiming to be working on behal read more | |
| Subscriptions For Amber Valley Borough Councils 2024 Garden Waste Service Are Now Open The garden waste collection service is available to all residents in Amber Valley except for r read more | |
| Mobile networks are being improved in Ripley Mobile networks are being improved in Ripley boosting the speed, performance and coverage of mobile services in the area. read more | |
| Trent Barton Buses - Extension Of The £2 Single Fare Cap Trent Barton Buses have confirmed their participation in the extension of the £2 single fare cap until the end o read more | |
| Crich Tramway Village Looking For An Engineering Manager The successful candidate for this post will have excellent management skills gained whilst working in a practical workshop e read more | |
