See the Nottingham Beeston Canal in a new light this February

People in Nottingham are being invited to see their local canals in a whole new light at a special event taking place as part of the city’s Light Night celebrations.

Enchanted Water takes place from 6pm on Friday 23 February around Castle Wharf as part of Nottingham’s annual Light Night. Enchanted Water aims to transform the look and feel of the canal, using art installations, light and water.

As part of the event, and over the weekend, visitors will be able to join poets on a canal boat to hear stories and poems about the canal read by the new Canal Laureate, Nancy Campbell, and other Nottingham poets.

During the evening, visitors will be able to see giant images evoking a narrowboat journey along the canal projected onto the British Waterways building. A film from the Mitchell & Kenyon archive showing what life would have been like in Nottingham 100 years ago will also be projected onto buildings on Carrington Street.

There will also be opportunities for people to get involved by sending a photo of themselves to be projected onto a waterfall installation, StarGate, made by Andy McKeown. People can upload a selfie to Instagram with the hashtag #NLN2018me for the chance to see their face projected onto falling water (photos must be posted by February 20).

The event is being organised by The Canal & River Trust, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Trent University and Beeston Canalside Heritage Centre with support from Arts Council England.

An atmospheric engaging experience
Liz Fleuty, their development & engagement manager said; “This event promises to be a really atmospheric, engaging experience and Castle Wharf should be quite a spectacle.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to get a totally different perspective on the city’s waterways, their history and the important role they can play in all our lives.

“We’re particularly excited to welcome the new Canal Laureate, Nancy Campbell, who will be performing a brand-new poem commissioned specifically for this event. We hope lots of local people come along and join us, and would love to see illuminated boats along the canal that evening.”

Sharon Scaniglia, Principal Arts Officer at Nottingham City Council said; “I have been working to deliver Light Night for over 10 years and am looking forward to a new element by working with partners to deliver Enchanted Water. Visitors to the canalside will be able to see history and art in motion and be immersed in an atmosphere that will not be present in any other part of the city.”

The celebrations are set to go on after the event with boat trips continuing the following day. Taking place between 11am and 1pm on Saturday 24 February the trips will run from Castle Wharf. All trips on both Friday and Saturday are to be booked in advance at Nottingham Council Narrowboat Project.

Over the Spring, a roving exhibition showcasing some of the photography and experiences from the Enchanted Water evening will be held at Nottingham Trent University, Beeston Canalside Heritage Centre and on Carrington Street.