Posted on 15th Jan
Newark Market Place will be transformed into a spectacle of light and flame this spring for the next town centre event from Newark Cultural Consortium’s programme Newark Creates.
Ignite: Fire, Flame and Frenzy will take place on Saturday, 1st March, welcoming visitors to wander through a vista of flames and chemical reactions in Doctor Kronovator’s Fire Laboratory.
Guests will be able to help the doctor and his team prepare their experimental flame and steam-powered contraptions, try their luck at a test of strength machine, and create chemical reactions in an evening of family fun.
Held in collaboration with Emergency Exit Arts and Lightfires, the main event will take place from 5.30pm to 8.30pm, with last entry to the queue at 8pm.
Alongside the fire laboratory, there will be complementary activities around the Market Place and surrounding streets.
An LED Hoop Show will be roaming from 6.30pm to 7pm, followed by a five-minute show at 7.30pm on Church Street, where acrobat performer Angie will spin, twist, and turn multiple hoops, leaving trails of light.
A roving display of ornate colour and light will also come in the form of The Living Lamp-Posts, illuminating creations from Theatre Illumiere, standing at more than 10 feet tall, between 6pm and 8.30pm.
Local organisations are getting involved with Create Late, at the National Civil War Centre, from 5pm to 8.30pm, where visitors will be able to use recycled and scrap materials and work in the Tudor Hall at twilight.
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Earlier in the day, the team from St Mary Magdalene Church will host Medieval stained glass making sessions, led by an expert craftswoman from The Company of Artisans. The sessions will be held at Hope Community Methodist Church on Barnbygate, at 2pm and 3.45pm. Booking is essential as places are limited, free places can be reserved at newarkcreates.co.uk
There will be free workshops in advance of the event to make illuminated headdresses. Inspire at the Buttermarket will be hosting the sessions on Tuesday, 18th February, from 10am to 1pm and from 1.30pm until 4.30pm, and on Wednesday, 19th February at the same times. Participants aged 6+ can join local artist Emily Cartwright to make a light-up, flame-inspired headdress. Free places can be booked by emailing sara.bullimore@inspireculture.org.uk with details of a preferred session time, the number of places required, and the ages of any children taking part.
Coun Claire Penny, portfolio holder for Sustainable Economic Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “After the success of the incredible A Likely Story projection on the Town Hall last November, which attracted over 3,900 visitors, it’s wonderful to be seeing Newark Creates bring yet another landmark event to our town centre.”
Newark Creates is a cultural programme led by Newark’s Cultural Consortium, which has seen the curation of free arts and heritage activities across the town since 2021.
Over the past year, the programme has been supported by Newark Town Board’s Newark Heart project, alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
