Created by Irish Light Artist Mick Murray and Lighting Designer Matthew Cregan, Light Ballet will transform the skies and surrounding landscape of eight counties, including County Clare, with a light installation floating down the River Shannon over eight days.
Light Ballet will be visible from up to seven kilometres and, covering almost two hundred kilometres, the installation will be accompanied by a newly composed soundscape by David Kitt. Audiences will be able to access the soundscape via the Culture Works and the Brightening Air | Coiscéim Coiligh websites. The light installation and soundscape are synchronised in real-time allowing audiences to experience the soundscape at home, along the edgelands or those in-between places through their phones, tablets or computers.
Through its powerful physical presence, Light Ballet will surprise and delight everyone who encounters this spectacle of light and sound as it voyages through our hidden heartlands. The combined light and soundscape will manifest as a sculptural presence through the manipulation of light, colours and shadows. Each evening from dusk, the skies and surrounding landscape will be transformed and illuminated with a hope-filled, ballet of light.
Through the River’s embrace of summer, Light Ballet offers an opportunity to reflect and to remember, representing a moment of hope, joy and togetherness. Even though consumed by distance, Light Ballet connects us through shared experience and collective joy.
Working with Clare Arts Office, the Clare element of the show will feature light patterns designed by children from Tuamgraney NS.
Mick Murray is a light artist from Offaly with more than 20 years’ experience working as a lighting designer, light artist, technical consultant and video designer. In recent years Mick has created a series of works and installations in the public realm. Previous large-scale public light installations and sculptures include: HyBrasil, premiered at Drop Everything, Inis Oírr, 2014 and Westport Arts Festival 2018; Spire-Inspire for UNESCO International Year of Light and Beckett Bridge for Winter Lights / Eventco. Mick has worked with Landmark Productions, Fíbín Theatre Company, Gaiety Theatre, National Concert Orchestra, St Patrick’s Festival , Galway International Arts Festival. Mick also works internationally with Circa (Australia).
Matthew Cregan is a lighting designer from Belfast and has worked extensively in theatre and live events over the last 20 years. Outside of his work as a lighting designer Matt has held positions including Director of Technical Operations, Technical Director, Head of Lighting, Production Manager and Sound Engineer. Matt has worked on a number of outdoor lighting projects and large scale public events including NYF Dublin, Spire-Inspire for UNESCO International Year of Light in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Festival, Star Wars Spire Installation, Lyric Theatre, RTE, Gaiety Theatre, Olympia Theatre.
Mick and Matt have previously collaborated together on Spire-Inspire for UNESCO international Year of Light in conjunction with St. Patrick’s Festival. Both have a keen interest in using new and emerging technologies to engage with members of the public through interactive installations. Mick and Matt have been developing the project Light Ballet since 2019.
David Kitt is an Irish singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Kitt continues to surprise audiences and fans with the diversity of his sound. The Dubliner evolved away from the ‘indietronica’ style he had become best known for, retiring his drum machine for a bolder emotional palette and orchestral influences on the follow-up, ‘Square 1’, which debuted top of the Irish charts. Celebrated by Louder Than War as “a sublime, introspective, soother of a solo album, reaffirming Kitt as one of Ireland’s best singer/songwriters”, ‘Yous’ was released on Dublin’s own All City Records, the notably and suitably eclectic label through which Kitt released ‘From Night to Night’, his debut album under the alias of New Jackson.
Culture Works create and produce exciting and unforgettable arts and cultural experiences in Ireland. The organisation works in collaboration with artists and arts organisations to realise their artistic vision and create work that engages and captivates audiences. Culture Works’ creative focus is on projects that explore locality and place making. The organisation provides services across multiple arts disciplines – from theatre to the world of digital arts, literature to outdoor spectacle, visual arts to site-specific work – as well as in the areas of policy development, project management and strategic planning.
