Prism: Waterside Arts’ Winter Festival of Music & Light returns for a second year
Prism – an ambitious winter festival, powered by Waterside Arts, returns to illuminate Sale town centre from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 November.
Last year’s Prism Festival was a visual treat © Life in Sale
Following the huge success of Waterside’s inaugural Prism Festival in 2023, audiences of all ages can again witness music, projection and light performance creating magical and thought-provoking experiences during this three-day festival.
Prism Light Trail, a community-led project, curated by Things That Go On Things in partnership with Leeway Creative Productions, will see a series of light installations through Sale town centre designed by children and young people in the borough.
The Light Trail is based on an original concept by Trafford-based public artist Venessa Scott, award-winning artist Sarah Greaves and the communities of Trafford.
Simple yet effective pools of light will animate the town centre in a stunning trail will run daily from dusk til dawn brightening up the dark winter nights.
This year’s festival centre piece will be Minute Taker: Nocturnal Monologues, an original commission by Waterside Arts. Breathtakingly visual, Nocturnal Monologues is an open-air, multiscreen, cinematic experience set to a live synth-wave soundtrack of ethereal, 80s-inspired songs by Minute Taker.
Part Blade Runner, part 1984 and featuring the occasional Thriller-esque dance sequence, this outdoor spectacle will be free to attend each evening throughout the festival.
Prism Festival continues in the indoor theatre space with SURGE VR, a virtual reality version of Tom Dale Company’s immersive dance performance SURGE, which wowed audiences at last year’s festival.
SURGE VR enables the audience to explore and interact with a digital version of the immersive dance piece. Featuring exclusive new music from Ital Tek, this digital re-imagining of live choreography lasts up to 15 minutes. Audiences are free to move around the space both physically and digitally to explore their spatial environment. Suitable for ages 13+
Tom Dale Company combine movement, electronic music and the digital arts working at the cutting edge of performance. There are slots on each day of the festival, bookable in advance. Each slot is for a maximum of three people.
Prism Festival 2023 © Life in Sale
New for Prism 2024, families and young people can join Our Kids Social for Let’s Glo UV Family Silent Disco. Expect a super fun dayglo afternoon at their UV discotastic family party on Saturday 23 November. With LED hoopers and UV facepaint, dances, props, bubbles and more.
This year at Prism 2024, Waterside will showcase the first in a series of live gigs introducing groundbreaking new artists; Dirty Freud on Thursday 21 November and Good Habits on Friday 22 November in Waterside’s intimate performance space, The Chambers.
Festival curator and Waterside manager Darren Adams says: “I’m delighted to unveil our programme for Prism 2024. This festival has always represented a bold vision, and we're incredibly grateful to our funders, supporters, and the amazing team working tirelessly to bring this immersive experience to life.
“Our lineup features a dynamic mix of high-impact events, blending digital arts with cutting-edge technology in new, creative ways. We invite everyone to join us for an unforgettable time at Prism 2024, launching this year's festive season right from Trafford’s cultural hub, Waterside."
Prism Festival runs from Thursday 21 – Saturday 23 November 2024.
💬 Editor’s note: Last year’s inaugural Prism Festival was excellent. My expectations are high for this year’s! I definitely recommend popping into the town centre to see it!
