Giant lantern sculpture trail lights up the city

A trail of giant lantern sculptures commissioned by Surtal Arts has been installed at key landmarks in Derby to shine a light on the city’s cultural diversity and the need for climate action.

The recently launched ‘World of Flowers’ lantern sculpture trail features a series of LED-lit lanterns, installed at different locations around the city centre and Normanton – connecting Derby’s diverse communities and places and encouraging people to further explore the city.

Eight emerging artists from across Derby and Derbyshire have created the 11 multimedia sculptures, which have been made from recycled or bio-degradable materials as part of the climate action theme.

The artists have been commissioned by Surtal Arts as part of its commitment to provide a platform for local emerging artists to showcase their talent at mainstream events and spaces and to enhance their career opportunities in the creative sector.

The lantern locations are QUAD, Artcore, Thrivemind Village, St Peter’s Church, Down to Earth Derby’s Electric Daisy, Derby College, Derby Midland Station, The Orangery at Arboretum Park, Jamia Mosque, Hindu Temple Geeta Bhawan and Guru Arjundev Gurdwara.

The sculptures will be in place from now until New Year’s Eve.

The World of Flowers lantern trail is a key part of the Derby Season of Light 2024, which aims to unite communities and cultures through the arts – embracing various festivals including Diwali, Rabi’ Al-Awwal, Hanukkah, Bonfire Night, Christmas and Chinese New Year, which all share the common theme of light.

The festival is spearheaded by Surtal Arts – Derby’s South Asian arts organisation, which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Nisha Nath, chair of Surtal Arts, said: “Our goals with the lantern trail was to shine a light on different cultural landmarks in the city, highlight the issue of climate action and showcase emerging artists from various cultural backgrounds in the early stages of their careers.

“We hope that families in particular will take this opportunity to go hunting for these special sculptures while discovering new places, people and stories and take pride in the city we all call home.

“Young people are the agents for climate action and the stories and inspiration behind the artists’ lantern sculpture will particularly resonate with them.”

For more information about the lantern trail visit https://www.surtalarts.co.uk/event-details/derby-lantern-sculpture-trail.