Light festival is set to '˜enchant' resort

The Lightpool Festival has brought together around 30 installations in locations ranging from the Cathedral of Mirrors in the Winter Gardens to a Stairway to Heaven on St John’s Church.

Manchester-based artist Elisa Artesero has put her artwork alongside Blackpool’s ‘loneliest bench’.

She said: “It faces the sea near the war memorial.

“My artwork is called ‘I waited’ and it is a light projection of a shadowy figure, like the person isn’t there any more and it is just a ghost.

“I try and install things where people don’t normally expect them.

“My other piece is ‘The stories under their feet’ and sees a poem emerge as shadow words beneath four benches using text and light.

“I came to Blackpool for a research visit and I really fell in love with the place.”

The festival’s artistic director Alex Rinsler said he hoped the event would “bring some enchantment to the town centre”.

He said: “We think people will look at the installations with their mouths wide open because they are so impressed by what they see.

“This is for everyone, it is not in an art gallery or behind closed doors, it is accessible for everybody.”

The festival also includes work by Yoko Ono, and nightly performances including a 50 minute show starting at 8pm tonight in St John’s Square featuring Polar, which is a fable of fire and tango.