York trips the light fantastic.

Here’s a guest post from guest blogger Nicola Gallear who apparently has just emerged from hibernation (odd time of year for it!) . . . Nicola is our new York contributor from the city, so good they named it once. She loves all things creative and cultural and anything that involves coffee and cake. Looking forward to more posts from her, sounds like there’s loads of fascinating stuff happening in York. I’m a bit jealous . . .

A spectacular show of light and sound exploded onto the dark streets of York last night as the city’s Illuminating York festival returned for its sixth year.

The centrepiece of this year’s festival is ‘Rose’, a stunning work of ‘son et lumiere’ which uses the Minster’s South Transept as a 40 metre high giant canvas.

Designed by acclaimed artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid the artwork uses deconstructed imagery from the Minister’s famous rose window and from manuscripts held inside to explore the rose, the ancient symbol of Yorkshire, as an image of nature, purity and perfect love. The continuous ten minute piece is accompanied by evocative love poetry recited by local voices and Minster choral music for a complete audio-visual experience.

‘Rose’ uses the latest modern projection technologies to celebrate one of our most ancient and historical buildings and, bringing the inside outside, allows the viewer to see its familiar façade in a dramatic new light. It also affords a unique opportunity to see the rose window, which was miraculously saved after the 1984 fire, gloriously lit from within.

The festival which continues nightly at 7pm – 10pm until Saturday 30 October also features a number of smaller fringe events in Dean’s Park, the area behind the Minster, which are designed to allow visitors to get close to and interact with digital art.

‘Chroma Van’

Visitors to this remodeled caravan can bathe in pure coloured light and witness some curious and surprising perception effects.

‘Lightweight’

A giant four metre high sphere projects images, videos and sounds across 360 degrees. Translucent colours cause the structure to glow and pulse.

‘The Ice Book’

A pop up book made of sheets of paper and light which come to life to tell the story of a princess luring a man into the woods to warm her heart of ice. Possibly the smallest show in the world. Capacity is 8 people per performance.

‘Tagtool’

The Treasurer’s House is used as a stunning backdrop for a projection of colourful animated drawings.

Several of the city’s visitor attractions will be hosting late night openings and candlelight tours during the festival.

For more information about Illuminating York see www.illuminatingyork.org.uk or telephone Visit York Information Centre Tel 09104 550099.