The fourth edition of River of Light in 2022 is titled Unexpected Twist.
The project will once again take over the Liverpool Waterfront for 17 nights, from 21 Oct – 6 Nov 2022, this time happening at the same time as;
• October Half Term
• World Gymnastics Championships 2022 in Liverpool
The audience for the event will be 150k+ predominately family and from across a regional, national and international spectrum. They expect a large proportion of national and international attendees to be visiting the city specifically for the World Gymnastics Championships, in addition to the usual River of Light audiences.
THE CREATIVE
Gymnastics is about harnessing power, poise, grace and extraordinary skill. It is these elements that we want to explore in the commissions for Unexpected Twist.
Like all editions of River of Light they want works to be:
• Accessible and inclusive for all audiences, in particular families with young children
• Joyful, surprising & shareable – something that works on digital platforms
• Interactive – audiences love being able to directly engage with the works
• Of scale – City streets and areas they present are big. They know that things that are too
intricate run the risk of getting lost
• Robust – almost all of their likely locations are outdoor and are subject to the potential for
high winds, heavy rain and cold temperatures
THE CONCEPT
In the modern world, it is rare that we are amazed.
We can be cynical, always looking to understand the ‘how’ rather than revel in the what.
Sometimes it can feel like magic is dead.
But extraordinary feats can still take the breath away. Incredible strength and speed.
Someone who makes the superhuman look easy.
Understanding the undertaking makes the action more extraordinary.
So how can we rediscover the magic and flip the ordinary on its head?
THE RANGE
In total they want to present 15 – 20 works. Of these they would like at least 5 to be new commissions.
Where they are presenting existing works, they would like to explore ways in which these pieces
might be reimagined for the show.
For Unexpected Twist they are keen to hear from both established light artists as well as artists or collectives who may have never worked with light before but who have a history of outdoor works, using colour and/or digital interactive technologies.
THE TIMELINE
➢ 28 Jan 22
Deadline for artists to propose initial concepts and ideas for both new and existing works
➢ Feb & March 22
Ideas developed
➢ April 22
All pieces commissioned and locations agreed
➢ May – September 22
Creation and development
➢ October 22
Install
LOCATIONS
The main locations for the River of Light 2022 programme are likely to be similar to those used in 2021 as
highlighted on the map. They present almost all works outdoors. They are also interested in exploring new spaces in the public realm and are particularly keen to extend the footprint of the festival up to the ACC Liverpool piazza
where the World Gymnastics Championships 2022 will be taking place.
The footprint of the trail encompasses the Liverpool Waterfront along with some key areas of the nearby retail and commercial district.
NEXT STEPS
If you would like to submit a proposal or discuss anything about the brief in more detail, then please contact Philippa.nolan@liverpool.gov.uk
Please submit any ideas, either existing or new commissions, by Friday 28th January