Viva Lewes Issue #146 November 2018

êêêê UNDER 16
GLOW WILD WAKEHURST
I love Chinese lanterns. And the Wakehurst
Glow Wild lantern festival takes this to a
whole new level. Glow Wild, which runs from
November 22nd to 16th December, is now in
its fifth year. We spoke to the Creative Lead
on the project, Kari Winter, who told us all
about its particular Wakehurst magic.
Wakehurst is run by Kew, and the original
idea was inspired by the Christmas at Kew
trail, when a Wakehurst team visited, Kari
tells me. That too is a light trail: “they’re different
but the same”.
So what’s distinctive about our Sussex version,
I ask? “Glow Wild is quite subtle”, she says.
“It’s really meant as a thank you to visitors
for supporting us all year round. We aim for a
warm-gathering feeling.”
A bit like a drinks party, where the drinks are
lanterns? “Yes!”
The lanterns are all home-made, Kari tells
me, “made from willow and paper”. Many
of them are produced by schools – a project
which is coordinated by Same Sky, a community
arts charity based in Brighton.
“Our overriding theme is connecting to
nature. So, our installations are inspired by
different aspects of nature: animals, stars,
plants… The whole trail is one installation
that flows through the grounds, and dotted
along it are individual installations created by
different artists”, says Kari.
“Jony Easterby created last year’s projection
onto the mansion – which was a real highlight.
And he’s prepared a new one, another
real gem, for this year.”
And Now, an arts company which has worked
with Glow Wild from the start, orchestrate
fire installations along the way – last year,
along the river. “And we have two artists –
Martin Brockman and Dominic Parrette
– who have worked with us at Wakehurst
before, but are new this year to Glow Wild”,
says Kari.
There are also “subtle sound installations” at
points along the atmospheric trail. “There’s
one in the fire installations this year.”
The whole thing takes about an hour to walk
around, and each family is given a lantern to
carry with them. So there’s a moving trail running
through the fixed one too. “And there’s a
lantern-making workshop for families too, at
the end.”
And of course it’s a rare chance to enjoy this
beautiful place at night – Wakehurst is normally
only open by daylight. Charlotte Gann
Open Thursday to Sunday, choose from one
of eight time slots between 4.30pm and 8pm.
Booking essential. £14 for adults, £8 for children
(free for under 4s). Family tickets available.
kew.org/wakehurst
73