Illuminares Lantern Festival July 30, 2011
Programming Preview

“The most magical of Vancouver’s summertime events…” – Georgia Straight

Glowing stars hang in darkened trees; a hypnotic drum beat leads a procession of dancing figures holding fiery torches; stilt walkers stalk through thousands of costumed revelers, together animating a world of their own creation…

The Illuminares Lantern Festival 2011, now in its 22nd year, is a series of glowing handmade lantern processions, creative workshops, performances and fantastical happenings. All of these elements combine to celebrate community cooperation, creative expression and revelry. Illuminares started as an intimate community get-together and has grown into one of the most beloved and well-attended festivals in Vancouver, now at a new location outside Canada Place on July 30, 2011.

On July 30th, the day starts out at 1pm at Harbour Green Park where until 5pm visitors can make a lantern at the All-Ages Lantern-Making workshops or play a game of Giant Twister on the grass.

At 5pm at Harbour Green, a 30ft. Giant Heron Puppet will come to life puppeted by community members and leading a spectacular procession of humanity following nature towards Canada Place. Inspired by the work of French puppeteers Royal De Luxe and their Giant Little Girl puppet,  the giant bird has been built by a cross-sector team of Vancouver’s best puppeteers, designers and engineers. Stilters, hula-hoopers, roving ground performers, and the vibrant, Afro-Brazillian groups Sambata and Samba Du Soleil, will join procession participants in a lively mobile party on its way to Canada Place. But the magic of Illuminares is what Vancouver brings to the event!  Vancouver is invited to dress in costume, bring instruments, bring a performance, and bring a lantern!

At 6pm the exterior promenade of Canada Place will be transformed with hand-made lanterns, interactive art installations, music, crafts, performances, and games!
Programming highlight include:

• Aeriosa’s gravity-defying aerial choreography and dancing in the vertical realm off the side wall of Canada Place
• Victorian Era Flash Mob Performances – inspired by Vancouver’s 125 birthday, our flash mob time travellers will dance and interact with revelers.
• Giant Jenga – interactive game play for everyone – take your turn and don’t let it fall!
• Gramorail – A human-powered rail vehicle topped with an enormous gramophone created by Vancouver’s eatART.  The locomotive car will travel along 100 feet of track on the Canada Place Plaza.
• Graffiti Play – Live graffiti on site by internationally recognized graffiti artist, Take 5, alongside your opportunity to grab a digital spray can and paint with light on a huge screen.
• Performances by Tarran the Tailor, Sweet Anomoly, Rupinder Sidhu, Vancouver Carnival Band, Karen Flamenco, and MORE
• Group Singing!  Participants will be encouraged to raise their voices in song on site with choral facilitator, Hussein Janmohamed.
• ShadowPlay – A high-and-low-tech mash-up, play with your shadow and see it projected on the sails of Canada Place! This exploration will turn community participants into puppeteers, using their own silhouettes to explore the magic of shadow puppetry.
• Driftwood Mandala & Sandbox Lantern – Built on site by community participants and artist facilitator, Glen Anderson, this is a large-scale, community-built lantern project — created entirely on the night of the event.
• Art installations by Travelling Alchemist Society, Secret Lantern Society, This is East Van, and internationally renowned origami artist, Joseph Wu.
• 9pm Lantern procession with handmade lanterns gathering at Canada Place Plaza.
• Other fun includes: Spoken Word, Improv Theatre, Photobooth, Double Dutch Skipping, Storytelling, Face Painting, On-Site Crafts (make your own button, lantern, crown, wand!), Tarot Card Reading, Roving Characters, and MORE!
• Food carts by: Little Red Truck, San Juan Family Farm, DeeDee’s Greek, Taco Fino, Coma Food Truck, and Mario Gelati.
• The evening will end at 9:45pm with a mesmerizing fire performance by Radiant Heat.

On July 30, 2011 be part of the magic.

In the lead up to the event all week, members of the community can also take part in Lantern Making Workshops, Victorian Era Theatrical Flash Mob Workshops or learn how to puppet the giant 30ft Heron Puppet.

For a gallery of images from Illuminares click here: www.flickr.com